The Red Moon Promise
by EMHW.Bear
Summary: What happens when a wolf is separated from his imprint? Jacob tries to live without Nessie, selflessly agreeing to give her uniquely short childhood to Bella & Edward. Due to boredom & loneliness, he befriends a girl. Will another heart be broken? A canon follow-up to Breaking Dawn with twists, turns, and surprises.
1. Moving Right Along Chps 1 and 2

**A/N** _First and foremost, I would like to give a special thanks to my wonderful pre-beta, u2shay, author of That Girl. A Must Read!_

**Summary: ****He Never Suspected...**

I was inspired to write this story by a legend I came across about imprinting on the website listed on my profile page.

And for the simple fact that Breaking Dawn broke my heart!

A canon follow-up to Breaking Dawn with twists, turns, and surprises.

**What happens when a wolf is separated from his imprint?**

Jacob tries to live without Nessie, selflessly agreeing to give her short childhood to Bella and Edward. Racked by boredom and loneliness, he befriends a girl with an abusive step-father. Will another heart be broken?

What sinister forces are stalking Jacob and the other wolves, and why?

Discover who Embry's father is, if Leah ever finds happiness, and how Sam and Jacob deal with having two separate packs.

_This portion of the story takes place after Bella convinces Jacob to give Nessie's uniquely short childhood to her and Edward. His agreement was a side effect of imprinting. Jacob could and would do only what was best for Nessie._

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**Moving Right Along**

All peace and contentment disappeared completely along with his heart, the day Jacob woke to find his life vacant and his imprint gone. His anger at himself for not speaking up when he had had the opportunity nearly drove him over the edge. He couldn't eat, he couldn't sleep, and he couldn't for the life of him, figure out why in the hell he had let her go without him.

Getting through the next several weeks was far more difficult than Jacob had ever imagined.

The days were long and empty. It was like someone snatched the sun from the sky and left him surrounded by cold lonely darkness. He felt as if he was dying a slow death, and he had no idea how he was supposed to survive without being able to see his sweet little Nessie.

Everything had been about Bella for so long, and even during times where he had nothing to do, he had someone to be concerned about, someone to occupy his mind. Then everything became about Nessie, and he always had somewhere he wanted to be. Now that they were gone, there was nothing else left.

Adding to the situation, he had become addicted to all the dangers that he'd faced over the past year, and now he found himself extremely bored.

His best friends, Quil and Embry, moved on without him since he hadn't had time for them in months. Every time he wanted to hang out, Quil said he was too busy and Embry was always grounded. He wasn't about to crash anyone else's party uninvited either.

Even Billy had plans that didn't include his own son. _Serves me right._

Thinking that maybe Charlie would be lonesome by now as well, he decided to stop by his place. It turned out he was wrong. Charlie had Sue Clearwater to keep him company.

He passed on by Charlie's place, feeling sorry for himself and longing for the highly intense days of the past.

The twanging metal reverberation of a typical box guitar cut through the air, capturing his attention. _This is something new!_ Sharpened by the supernatural hearing of his inner wolf, the music resonated loud and clear. The rhythmic flow was very enjoyable for country music, typically not his preference.

Jacob figured he liked the sound of it just because _he liked the sound of it_.

He listened more intently, making out a faint soft female voice singing along with the strumming guitar. The sweet melodic flavor in the voice urged him forward. Jacob began paying attention to her while she continued plucking away, singing the words: "And you've got a smile that could light up this whole town. I haven't seen it in a while, since she brought you down..."

She stopped singing for an instant, continuing to hum while she strummed. "Jeez, what's wrong with me today?" she grumbled nearly inaudibly, giving him the impression that she messed up somewhere, although it sounded perfectly fine to him.

It took a moment for him to realize, he was trailing in the direction of the strumming guitar with high hopes of getting to see _The Voice_.

As he turned the corner of Charlie's block, he sensed a delicate but very satisfying aroma. It was a scent similar to vanilla blended with a hint of lavender. He smiled at how good he had gotten at identifying all the various odors he was hardly aware of before the Quileute legends proved true.

Halfway down the street, he spotted the source of the pleasurable nature. The girl handling the guitar was sitting on the porch of a two-story, split-level house. Before he could get any closer to where she sat, a deep gruff male voice shouted, "Raven, get in here ... now!"

Jacob made a mental picture of the owner's voice as being a middle aged, average height, stocky built, overweight guy with tattoos on his fat covered muscles. "Ugh, why can't he ever leave me alone?" Jacob heard the girl gripe quietly. She stood up and entered the house, taking the nice aroma with her, answering, "Yeah, Dad?"

When he passed, he couldn't help but stare. On the lower floor of the split-level home, he could see inside a bedroom. A dark haired girl was standing by the window. Even though it was evening, Jacob had a vivid view of her.

Due to the somewhat tanned tone of her skin, he thought she was possibly Native American but wasn't quite sure. She could have been Mexican or maybe not. She stood by the window, peering out for a moment and wearing a very poignant facial expression. He wondered what she might have been thinking about. She seemed to be gazing at him, so he waved to her. She just shut the window and closed the curtains.

_Probably thought I was some kind of peeping Tom._

Then the door to the house flung open and the girl's dad stomped out resembling, accurately, the way Jacob pictured him only with dirty blond hair.

Jacob decided the girl was neither Native nor Hispanic.

Catching his stare, the man scowled back at him as if Jacob was nothing but a piece of trash up to no good which really pissed Jacob off.

He got the vibe that the guy was a terrible person with a scent as foul as the vile inner-personality he sensed from him. _Christ_, _to have a dad like that..._

* * *

After spending another weekend alone, Jacob decided he needed a phone number to contact Nessie, and he stopped by Charlie's to see if he had one. "Bells hasn't called yet, but it's only been a few weeks and I know they're halfway around the world somewhere. When she does, I'll let you know," Charlie promised.

_Edward probably told Charlie not to give me the number._

He bitterly wondered if Nessie and Bella would be terribly angry with him if he gave Edward a good size crack in the nose because of it. He inhaled roughly, feeling a strong urge to howl, leap into a run, smash something with his bare fist, morph, and exact some kind of destruction on anything he could attack or rip apart with his teeth.

Instead, he forced himself to take a deep breath. His body trembling as he continued walking up the street. Allowing himself to go berserk and wildly sprint through the woods like a rabid wolf had never pacified him before, and he had no reason to believe it would help this time.

He needed to see Nessie. She was his sanity.

Rounding the familiar corner on his way back home, someone slammed into him and ricocheted off. His arms quickly came out and he caught her before she hit the ground. "I'm sorry," he courteously apologized.

"No. It was my fault," the girl muttered. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was running."

She lifted her head but cast her eyes away from him. Jacob noticed a bright red bruise just below her eye, and it appeared that she had been crying. "Are you okay?"

The girl noticed him gawking at her bruise and pulled away from him. "Yes, I'm fine, don't worry about it." She inattentively darted down the street, appearing just as distressed as him, if not more so.

Jacob knew that the bruised girl was the same girl that he'd heard playing guitar and singing.

He heard the same deep rough grumble from the other night bellowing, "If she thinks she can disobey me and get away with it, she's got another thing coming!"

A female voice responded, saying, "She just wanted to go running, Mike. I know what Raven did was wrong, but she's already been hit, I mean, punished for that. She never goes anywhere else. What's wrong with running?"

"That's not the point, Abby. Raven disobeyed, and she should be grounded. She's probably got a boyfriend somewhere around here. I bet that's where she's always running off to!" the man grumbled.

Jacob's temperature rose in anger. "Jeez," he mumbled underneath his breath, feeling a fair amount of aggression toward the man.

He crossed the street and was about to enter the woods when he whiffed it.

The repulsive, sickly sweet smell which burned his nostrils, turned his stomach, and brought out his desire to protect, and to kill. A smell he could only tolerate when his precious Nessie was nearby overwhelming his senses with all that was perfect and meant to be.

He breathed in deeply as the hairs on the back of his neck suddenly stood on end. A wave of adrenaline, of pure excitement, washed through him and he felt as if he'd abruptly awaken from a dormant state. Like he was suddenly alive when he'd never even realized he'd been dead.

His body instantly exploded and he was on the run attempting to follow the sickening odor, leaping over boulders, and crashing through trees.

But the stench vanished so quickly Jacob wasn't quite sure he'd even whiffed it at all. Confused, and disappointed, he slowed to a trot and changed his direction toward home.

* * *

The week dragged on, and Jacob was about to lose his mind. Every day became harder to get through, harder to merely focus, no matter how much he tried to convince himself he was strong enough handle life without Nessi for a little while. Five years...ten years...twenty years, was nothing compared to forever.

His lonesomeness for her was excruciating and becoming too much for him to bear. He was sure he wouldn't last much longer before his mind began splitting apart.

Topping everything off, his car broke down and he was going to have to go to Hoquiam to find parts. He decided to skip school in an act of frustrated rebellion.

As he drove out of La Push on his motorcycle, he considered stopping by Sam's place and letting the guys know what he thought he whiffed but decided not to jump the gun just yet, concluding that maybe it was only wishful thinking since he was bored beyond belief and lonely to the point of craziness.

The drive to Hoquiam wasn't all that bad. The weather was pretty decent. He lucked out getting the necessary car parts at a fairly cheap price so - _all in all_ - the day was turning out to be better than he'd expected.

On his way back through Forks, he aimed to pass by the high school just for the hell of it. He sometimes got a kick out of the intimidated and dubious glares he got from some of students around there. And a small part of him was hoping that maybe, another vampire had infiltrated the school and was there to make trouble.

_No such luck!_

Though, he was pleasantly surprised when he spotted the _guitar-playing_ girl strolling home from school. _My chance to get a better look at The Voice._ He sped up on his motorcycle until he was right behind her, stopped the bike, and climbed off to walk, wheeling his bike along. "Hi," he greeted casually.

"Hello," the girl replied, uneasily turning away from him.

"My name is Jacob, Jacob Black," he said in a straightforward way. He'd never been too shy to meet someone new.

"Name..." then she cleared her throat and glanced down in obvious, blushing discomfort, "my name is Raven Myles."

"Aren't you the girl with the guitar?"

"Aren't you the guy that pushed me down?" she returned, using a very serious tone and a look that matched.

"Oh. Yeah, sorry about that," Jacob said flustered, unexpectedly caught off guard.

Still looking down but only partially, Raven laughed. "Just teasing. I know it was all my fault."

_A girl with a sense of humor._ Jacob grinned. "Are you new here?" He was trying to ignore the now healing yellow bruise below Raven's eye. He suspected that the bruise was the reason for her unwillingness to look directly at him.

"Uh huh, about six months," Raven replied.

"Really, where from?"

"Texas. San Antonio, Texas"

"Hmm... So you go to Forks High School. What grade are you in?"

"The eleventh, and you?" She almost had her head all the way up, but she was still trying to hide her bruise with her hair.

"Me too, missed _way_ too much school last year. Anyway, I go to school in La Push," Jacob offered. Then he curiously asked, "Are you Native American? I can't tell."

Raven giggled, lifting her head completely, gazing up. She fingered a lock of her hair, tucking it behind her ear. "Actually, I'm part Native, part Hispanic, and part White. My mom is Hispanic and White and my father was Native." She smiled, finally allowing him to make eye contact with her. His eyes popped wide open when he saw how cute she was.

He noticed that her eyes were really dark, nearly black, like liquid black, even darker than his own eyes were. They were large almond shaped with a trace of narrowness to them. She had long, thick wavy hair, the same nearly black color as her eyes. Her skin was fair with a natural sun kissed glow about it, which caused the difficulty he'd had in determining her ethnicity. She was also very petite, maybe just a little smaller than Bella. She was curvaceous, not as thin as Bella but slight just the same. Jacob wondered if he looked like a giant walking beside her. They were almost behind Raven's house when Jacob heard the voice he was already sickened of, roaring, "Raven!"

Raven jumped unnerved, quickly saying, "I have to go." And just like that she was gone, running around from the backyard to the front and disappearing in doors.

Jacob heard the man swearing at Raven, something about schoolwork, friends, and _who the hell was that guy_? He tensed, getting more heated by the second, while fighting the slight trembling triggered by just the sound of the despicable jerk. He started up his bike, pushing himself to hurry up and get away just so that he didn't have to listen anymore.

That night, Jacob dwelled incessantly on Raven. He remembered a conversation that he'd once had with Quil, in which Quil told him he didn't see girls anymore. He thought about how he must have misunderstood the entire discussion. Seeing as his perception of Raven was clear and exceptionally vibrant. In fact, he was stunned by how appealing she was when she lifted her chin completely up and freed her eyes of her hair. _Hmm_ ... _Maybe I had my concept of imprinting all wrong?_

* * *

Raven ran into her house answering her dad. Actually, he was her stepdad. Since he married Raven's mother way before Raven could remember, Mike was the only dad she'd ever known. Raven's biological father, Reed, had passed away before she was a year old. Her older brother River was nine at the time. This left her young mom in a very vulnerable position. Well, at least that's what Raven told herself to explain why Abby even married the terrible guy.

Raven did all her homework then she tried to watch some television. Mike told her to go read a book. That's just the way Mike was, and he had been that way ever since she was a little girl. If she asked for water, he would make her drink milk. If she wanted milk, he would make her drink water. If she asked to play, he would make her take a nap. If she wanted to nap, he made her do chores. Raven knew that Mike's behavior was a cruel power trip that he freakishly enjoyed. She couldn't wait for the day when she would at last be free of him.

"Who was that man you were talking to?" Her mother asked when Mike was out of hearing range.

"Just some guy from the La Push Reservation," Raven replied. "It was the first time he'd seen me here, so I guess he was curious."

"You're lucky your father didn't flip out. You know how he gets."

Raven rolled her eyes, stomping down the stairs to her bedroom. She had just turned seventeen, yet Mike refused to let her have any _boyfriends_ or friends that were _boys._ Abby said it was to be protective, but Raven knew Mike was just a controlling butthead. Raven had guy friends regardless. As long as she kept them away from her home, it wasn't a problem.

She recalled how a boy once called her house. Mike picked up the other line cussing, telling the boy not to _ever call the house again_, along with some choice names. Word must have gotten around because no boys called Raven again, and she never gave out her phone number either. That was just as well, too, because Raven didn't want to give Mike any excuse to hit her.

Mike had been hitting her and her brother for as long as Raven could remember, not all the time, but enough times for her to know to fear him. Abby and Mike both came from families that believed in good old-fashioned spanking. But in Raven's opinion, Mike took it to the extreme when he lost his temper.

Just like the other night, Mike had given Raven permission to stay overnight with her friend Kristy. Raven was told to go straight to Kristy's and nowhere else. She didn't tell him that she and Kristy had already planned on going to a movie because she knew he wouldn't allow her to go. Raven was unaware that one of Mike's co-workers was somewhere in the theater that night. Kristy's brother and a few of his friends showed up and sat with her and Kristy. All the while, Raven couldn't even enjoy herself because she was so afraid that Mike was going to find out that she disobeyed, perhaps call Kristy's house and find out she wasn't there.

The next day when Mike returned home from work, he sneered, "Clarissa wanted to know if you enjoyed the movie this weekend."

Raven knew she was busted.

Mike had been so upset he smacked her in the face, which left an ugly bruise below Raven's eye. Abby comforted Raven as usual, but added that Raven should have known better. Raven loved her mom, and in spite of Mike, Raven and Abby were actually very close. Raven never understood what Abby saw in the guy because she was such a loving person.

Abby later explained that Mike was in a bad mood because he had just been notified that his work hours were going to be cut. Raven was furious that Abby was always making up some excuse for Mike's behavior.

"I guess I'll pick up more home healthcare patients, maybe out at La Push," Abby was thinking out loud. She was just a part-time certified Home Healthcare Nurse, but Abby loved it. She'd always said she wanted to be a Registered Nurse and a Certified Healthcare Nurse was the next best thing.

Raven lay on her bed thinking about the guy with the motorcycle. He looked like an adult at first, from afar. He was very tall - Raven wondered how tall - and extremely well built. After she talked with him, she could see that he almost had a baby face. _Jacob Black is terribly gorgeous._ She sighed.

She stood up, drifting over to the window wishing she could go for a run. Raven liked running. She was able to be alone and let her mind wander when she ran. It was one of the few times she could get away from Mike. She'd often imagine running forever and never going back.

She hadn't been able to get out much these days. When she'd first arrived in Forks, she'd heard that people were being attacked by wild animals in the woods, and she was too big of a chicken to go anywhere near the walking paths after that. She was forced to run in town. It wasn't the same when you had to watch for traffic.

Sensing probing eyes ogling her, Raven's mind drifted back to earth. A strange man sitting in a parked car precisely across the street from her house caught her attention. _Has he been watching me all this time?_ The thought gave her the willies. She jerked herself away from the window, taking a quick breath. Slowly, she reached for the curtains and yanked them closed, shuddering with fright.

**A/N** _This installment was actually a condensed version of the original chapters 1 and 2. I did this because, since this was my first stab at fan fiction, it took a bit for me to find the flow. And to be honest, I was never quite satisfied with the first two chapters. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't get them to gel with the rest of the story the way I wanted them to, so, _**_Moving Right Along_**_, the story and the writing is much, much better from here._

_As many of you probably already know, the lyrics Raven is singing belong to Taylor Swift from her song You belong to Me_


	2. Something About Raven

**Chapter 3**

**_Something about Raven_**

Jacob was anxious for school to let out because he was planning to take another ride by the Forks High School. He was optimistically eager to see Raven again. He figured he needed to get to know more about her just to satisfy his insatiable curiosity.

As he drove to Forks, Jacob became aware that he hadn't thought about the Cullens or Nessie for the past couple days, which was unusual for him. He also hadn't been out to see any of the guys because he really hadn't wanted to be around any of the others guys with their imprints after Bella and Edward took Nessie away. Even though it was only temporary, it still hurt indescribably that she was gone.

Jacob made himself a mental note to go by Sam's place later, just to touch base and see if anything was up.

Exactly as he wished, Raven was walking home from school. Jacob slowed up beside her and smiled. "Hi," she said, cocking a bewildered eyebrow at him.

He started to say he was just in the neighborhood but stopped short and boldly stated, "I just wanted to come by and see you."

Raven quickly shifted her focus straight ahead. He noticed a glint of rosy coloring seeping through her cheeks. She turned back to face him, her lips parting briefly then falling closed, without uttering a response.

Jacob chuckled. "Sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you."

"You didn't. I'm just not that comfortable talking with guys," she candidly revealed. "I never know what to say."

"Well lucky for us, I'm good at talking with girls," he grinned. "Can I walk with you?"

"For a little while," she replied, scanning the area with a worried expression on her face.

In one swift, nearly invisible move, he slipped off the bike and was standing beside her. She did a double take, mildly confused, reminding him that he needed to be careful around her.

Lightly clearing her throat, she tilted her head, tugging gently at her earring. It was easy to see she was far more edgy than she was the first time he spoke to her.

"Is there something wrong or is it just me?" Jacob teased, attempting to lighten up her mood.

"Can we walk through the alley again?" she asked.

"Sure." He shrugged. Jacob didn't need her to explain why. He was already certain that it had something to do with her callous, domineering father.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters or is it just you?" Jacob was walking slowly, not sure how long Raven would allow him to walk with her. He considered how much trouble she might have gotten in to the last time and didn't want to put her in that position again.

"It's just me now. My older brother is in the army." Raven seemed more at ease once they got into the alley way. "We moved here because my dad has relatives in the area."

He asked her how she liked Forks so far and how she was adjusting to life in a small town, an obvious gigantic change from a big Texas City like San Antonio. He felt her tense disposition diminishing, getting more comfortable with every step and every word she spoke. He smiled, delighted when he realized he no longer had to pry to get her to say something. She was asking him several questions of her own.

"Hey, I thought you weren't good at talking to guys?" He squinted, pretending to be suspicious.

A warm blush emerged at the remark. "Well, you got me talking, so now you're just going to have to shut up and listen." She smirked, playfully snarky.

Jacob laughed under his breath. "Talk all you want. I like it. You have a nice voice. You sounded good singing, too, by the way."

"What?" she questioned in sudden surprise.

"A few nights ago when you were sitting on your front porch playing guitar, I heard you singing."

Raven furrowed her eyebrows, puzzled. "You're kidding? I thought I was barely making any noise at all."

_Shoot! Super sharp hearing. I forgot._"I meant. It looked like you were singing. I thought I heard you. Probably was only my imagination."

"Oh. I'm not very good at it though. The guitar belonged to my brother. He taught me some chords, but I don't think my hands are built for playing guitar."

_It sounded excellent to me, _he silently confessed. Jacob realized how much he was enjoying her company. "It seems like forever since I've talked with a pretty girl," he surprised himself by saying.

Tightening her lips, Raven held on to her smile. "You're purposely trying to embarrass me, aren't you?"

Jacob shook his head back in forth, displaying wide-eyed innocence. "Not intentionally, but I do like the color though."

They were a few houses away from hers when she stopped walking. Jacob knew that she wouldn't walk any further with him. She told him her parents, Mike and Abby, weren't home yet, however, she still wouldn't move any further up the path. "So can I call you then?" he asked, spur of the moment.

"Okay," she hesitated then quickly retracted. "I better call you," she said, raising her eye brows in query as she reached into her backpack and brought out a notebook and a pen.

"Sure." Jacob rattled off his telephone number then he climbed on his bike and started to drive off. He glanced back at her and waved.

She had a nice, bright smile as she waved back. He felt good, in happy anticipation of her phone call, before the brief angst that maybe she wouldn't call nipped at him, causing him to question what he would do if she didn't. He shook it off, taking a deep calming breath and reassuring himself that she would.

* * *

Seth met Jacob in the woods beside the beach. _You're early, _Jacob thought.

_I know. I got bored, __Seth sulked, not his usual chipper self.__ Thought I'd get out here early then get back early. You know? It's no fun not being able to hear any of the other guys when we're running._

_Hey,_ Jacob snapped in irritation, _you know you could…_

_I know. I know. I could leave anytime, __Seth interrupted__. Anything going on?_

_Nah, been pretty quiet. Thought I heard Leah for a bit but she must have heard me, too, and quickly phased out._Jacob knew that Leah liked to be alone, and Leah knew that he did, too. Unfortunately, this left Seth alone as well.

Leah had moved into her own place now and was taking some boring college courses.

_She's getting pretty good at hiding and blocking her thoughts, _Seth mentally admitted.

_It figures_, he thought. _After all the grumbling Leah got from the guys every time she thought female stuff_, _she's_ _probably been practicing ever since Sam._

Seth nodded in agreement.

Jacob ran with Seth for a while and saw that he had also come across traces of unfamiliar vampire stink on his last patrol.

_Maybe just some nomads left over from The Conflict,_ as they'd come to call the time they stood on the field prepared to defend the Cullens. _Hopefully just passing through. Besides, I haven't heard about any attacks or disappearances lately._

Seth thought he hadn't either.

He let Seth know he was planning to head over to Sam's and hang out with the guys. Then he had to get home because he was looking forward to a phone call.

_So you met a new friend? _

Jacob growled.

_I know. I know. Mind my business_, Seth woofed.

Every one except Paul was at Sam's place. Jacob was glad he'd dropped by on that particular day to visit. They all kidded each other, laughed, and emptied out Emily's refrigerator as usual. It seemed just like old times with a few extra people.

Quil was giving Claire a piggy back ride around the yard, and Claire was giggling and pulling Quil's hair. For a moment, Jacob felt a huge wave of guilt for not worrying as much about Nessie as possibly he should be. He brushed it away, assuring himself that Nessie was having the time of her life with her mom and dad and the rest of the Cullen clan. There was no better protection than Bella's shield, and he made the right decision for Nessie's benefit. If that wasn't the case, he figured he'd be going crazy and unable to find the slightest bit of peace with himself.

* * *

Raven smiled letting out a sigh of relief as she watched Jacob drive out of sight. The entire time she walked and talked with him she was shaking inside, worried that he would be able to tell how much she wanted him to like her. She didn't want to come off as being as lame as she felt sometimes when she was truly interested in somebody. The last time she felt that smitten was when she was in San Antonio and had developed a crush on the starting point guard of her high school basketball team. Although they were friends before the shift in her desires occurred, she was hardly able to hold pointless conversations with him without making a total loser out of herself.

She had told Jacob that she wasn't good at talking with guys, which wasn't completely accurate. She was on a comfortable basis with lots of guys from her school. It was exceptionally easy for her to get along with the opposite sex, even more than it was for her to get along with some girls, at least the really frilly ones. She always considered herself to be more of a _guys' girl_ with the tomboyish attitudes that were first nature to her. She loved playing basketball and frequently joined the guys on the court during her free hour at school, so she knew quite a few of the popular jocks very well.

It was only those guys she was highly attracted to that put a stumble in her steps and a stutter on her lips.

Raven decided to call Kristy to give her the scoop. Kristy was a tall, slender blond with pretty green eyes and over done hair. The type of girl that thought she was much too sophisticated for high school boys. She and Raven had nothing in common, and despite the obvious differences they became really great friends from the moment they first met.

Raven was barred from spending time with Kristy ever since she disobeyed Mike about the movie. They were only allowed to hang out at school for the time being. Abby told Raven to put some space between the incident and asking for permission to hang out with Kristy, and eventually Mike would come around. Raven was so wound up she needed to tell someone about Jacob and didn't want to wait until the next day at school. As soon as Kristy said hello, Raven gushed, "Remember that guy Jacob I was telling you about?"

"Jacob from La Push? Yeah, I know who you mean, now. I have seen him around before. I just always assumed he was way older than us though," Kristy remarked.

"He's about our age. I saw him again today. He walked with me home!" Raven excitedly revealed. "Oh… my… gosh Kristy, he's so, so, handsome and muscular and his smile."

Kristy chuckled. "Okay girl, slow down, take a deep breath, and tell me everything."

Raven ecstatically told Kristy all about Jacob and him asking for her number. "Did you give it to him? Of course you did. You better have," Kristy retorted.

"Ah, not exactly, I took down his number instead, which unfortunately puts me in the awkward position of having to call him first. You think I should? Or what should I do?"

"Of course you should. You know I would."

"When? Should I call him tonight? Or is that too soon?"

"Go ahead. Call him tonight. It sounds like he wants you to. Wow, Rave, it's a good thing you met someone because I was just about to hook you up with my brother," Kristy admitted.

"Not!" Raven cringed, realizing what she'd implied and abruptly rambled, "He's cute and all, but he's your brother and you're my best friend, and that kind of thing typically never works out."

"Whatever, Raven." Kristy laughed.

Raven did nothing but think about Jacob for the rest of the day. She waited until Mike fell asleep and hoped that it wasn't too late. Very carefully, she closed her bedroom door, locked it, and nervously dialed his number. A man she assumed was Jacob's dad answered the phone.

"Hello is Jacob there?"

"Jacob, it's for you. It's, uh… I don't know who it is."

"Hey," Jacob greeted with a low burly voice that sounded even huskier over the phone.

"It's Raven. I hope it's not too late?"

"Nah, it's just me and my dad around here so it's okay. I'm glad you called. I was hoping you'd call tonight."

Raven grinned, skipping happily inside.

Determined to plow through the uncomfortable awkwardness she was experiencing from having to make the initial call, she brazenly stated, "There's a problem with my phone call to you though."

"Oh, yeah…? What's that?" he questioned, sounding amused.

"I really don't have anything to talk to you about."

Jacob chuckled breathily. "Yeah… we'll see about that. You didn't seem to have any problems this afternoon."

Raven rolled her eyes, feeling silly. "Well, since I already talked your head off once today…" she mumbled sardonically.

"It's my turn now," Jacob interjected. She could hear the smile in his tone. "To prove how glad I am you called, I'll let you off the hook and do the stressing about what to talk about. Fair enough?"

"Fair enough."

Several times during the course of the conversation, she caught herself giggling a little too loud, and she constantly reminded herself to keep her voice down. Even though Mike and her mom's room was upstairs, she remained uneasy and fearful Mike would somehow catch her on the phone with some supernatural ability he evolved just to continue to make her life miserable.

It was incredibly easy for her to open up to Jacob, sharing with him how her dad, Reed, had died of leukemia when he was only thirty-one years old, leaving her young twenty-seven year old mother alone with no money and two children to raise. "My brother joined the military as soon as he graduated just to get away from…just to get away. He doesn't come home much."

"Sounds like you miss him."

"I do." Raven said, trying not to sound as sulky as she suddenly felt. Changing the subject, she asked, "What about you. Tell me about your family?"

Raven could hear the sadness in Jacob's voice when he talked about how he'd lost his mother in a car accident, the same accident that left his father in a wheelchair. She frowned, sorry she'd even asked.

When he began to tell her about his friends Quil, Embry, and several others in La Push, his demeanor noticeably lifted. "I can't wait for you to meet them," he anxiously stated, then paused as if he thought he'd said something wrong.

"Me, too," Raven immediately agreed so that Jacob wouldn't feel like he had misspoken. She glanced at her alarm clock. "Umm, Jacob, I just realized how late it is. I better go or I won't want to get up for school in the morning."

"Sure. No problem. Hey, ah…I have some stuff to do tomorrow afternoon, but will you call me again, later on?"

Raven beamed. "Same time tomorrow then," she assured him. She hung up the phone feeling utterly elated, replaying her entire conversation with Jacob in her mind. She was in awe of how comfortable he made her feel. He kept his word and did most of the talking, but he got a few things out of her as well. He even had her telling him all about River. She never talked with anyone about River, not even Kristy. River had been gone for so long she didn't know much about his life anymore.

Images of the illustrious big brother Raven adored with all her heart quietly wafted through her mind as she got ready for bed. She let the memories flow, warming her as she happily reminisced: She and River playing basketball together, and River picking the guitar while she sang. All the times he would take her out horseback riding, they'd stay gone all day just to avoid Mike.

River had always been acutely protective of Raven. He took the blame for everything just to keep her from being spanked. She remembered the last time he had lived with them, she was about nine years old at the time. River joined the army before his senior year because he always knew that it was what he wanted to do after high school. Their father had been trained in Delta Force and River wanted to be just like him.

Several weeks before River was to go to basic training, he got into a huge argument with Mike. Raven couldn't remember why River was in trouble. It was probably something really small. Just one of the many instances Mike lost his temper over nothing. Mike approached River with his leather belt in hand, cracking whips all over River's body. That particular day River justly snapped. He grabbed the belt out of Mike's hand, threw him down, and popped him a few times. Abby was screaming for River to stop, and Raven was sobbing, terrified. River and Mike scuffled for a few more minutes until River just stopped fighting. He got up off Mike, turned toward Abby, and announced he was leaving.

"That's right you are!" Mike shouted. "Get the hell out of my house and don't you ever come back here!"

Raven shivered, remembering how scared she'd been that day. Scared and surprised because usually River just covered up and took it. He never had to; he just always did. Simply, in order to keep Mike from taking anything out on Abby or Raven. River was very tough and athletic. He had been lifting weights since he was twelve years old, always preparing for the Delta Force. He was also trained in mixed martial arts and was exceptional at it.

After the fight Raven clasped her arms around River's waist trying to hold onto him while he attempted to stomp into his bedroom to pack. "Let go Raven!"

He took Reed's old green army duffel bag from the closet and began stuffing it with clothes.

"I always knew one day I would lose it on that kid hitting coward and I'd have to leave here earlier than I planned," he angrily spouted. Raven knew he wasn't necessarily speaking to her.

He had a slight amount of tears in his eyes, not because of the fight with Mike, but because he had to leave Abby and Raven behind, unprotected.

He told Raven that he would come back for her as soon as he was able. He also made her promise that she would always obey Mike because River couldn't stand the thought of Raven getting hit. She promised him that she always would. He said when he came back he would make Abby leave as well, but River never came back. He wrote to her and Abby once in a while but rarely called because at first, Mike kept hanging up on him. Raven didn't blame him for not coming home. She knew that Abby would never leave Mike and she would never leave Abby.

She sniffled, wiped her nose, and tried to fall asleep with tiny tears in her eyes, considering how such initially wonderful memories unpredictably gravitated toward one of the worst times of her life. She was certain she missed him more than he would ever know.

* * *

The next day seemed brighter than usual. Jacob was extremely energetic during his routine run. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the pure wholesome smell of the forest was invigorating. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so alive. He briefly considered making a pass by Forks while on patrol, tempted to swing by Raven's house but decided against it. _I'm not a stalker. She said she would call again, so I'll just have to wait._

He had almost finished his run when he felt an unexpected sensation of danger gnawing at him. He followed his instincts and ended up at the beach, but there was nothing out of the ordinary to be seen, except for Rachel and Paul acting all lovey-dovey, holding hands, and melting all over each other. That wasn't out of the ordinary, but it was enough to make Jacob want to puke.

The threat of danger was strong enough to cause the telltale tremble of his body. Jacob scouted the beach thoroughly. All he saw was a guy jogging behind Rachel and Paul and a few camera crazy whale watchers. He took a few deep sniffs but there was no burn to accompany the bizarre feeling. _Paul doesn't seem to be troubled. Maybe I'm losing it?_

He snorted, unable to shake the feeling that someone or something was out there somewhere.


	3. True Lies

**Chapter 4**

_**True Lies**_

"Got here just in time," Jacob said enthusiastically as Billy stretched the telephone toward him. He was eyeing Jacob curiously as if it was some big deal Jacob got a phone call from the same girl twice, and she wasn't Bella. Jacob rolled his eyes annoyed. He snatched the phone away from Billy. "Hey, what's up?"

"Hi, it's me," Raven stated, an uncomfortable tone underlying her words.

Jacob wondered if she was that discomfited by him or if there was something else bothering her. "Is everything okay?" he asked, flicking his hand toward Billy and glaring at him until Billy rolled himself all the way into the kitchen.

"Uh huh. Why do you ask?"

_Because I can sense the tension in your voice. _"No reason." It suddenly occurred to him how in tune he felt with her demeanor, thinking it was strange that he could pick up on subtle elements of her voice when he hardly knew her. "You're not still stressing over what to talk about with me, are you?"

She giggled. "Well don't say it like that," and openly pointed out, "you're supposed to try and make me feel better, not make me feel like an absolute freak."

Jacob grinned, appreciating the fact that she could be just as straight up as him. "I just did, didn't I?"

"Nope," she refuted, although Jacob heard the tension disappear. "So what'd you do today?"

"I went to school, worked on my car, went for a run…"

"You run?" she blurted excitedly.

The running she was referring to wasn't the same kind of running he did, but running was running, whether it was on two legs or four. "Yup," he replied, unnecessarily asking, "do you?"

"Uh huh, I ran long distance track and cross country at my last high school."

"Really?" Jacob was impressed. He knew she ran but he hadn't figured her for the competitive athletic type of a girl, which he assumed accounted for her shapely form.

She told him that she'd hardly been able to run since she moved to Forks because she was afraid to be in the woods alone and it was too hard to run in the streets, and too boring to run around the track. Jacob promised he would go with her sometime. She looked hot running. He shook his head in confusion. _What the hell am I thinking? _He quickly asked her what kind of Indian she was just to change the subject.

"The people called themselves Sanish, but the government had a different name for them. I can't remember that one. I don't like to ask about my dad's family. It upsets my stepdad. Causes trouble between him and my mom."

"That's too bad."

"I did get to meet my grandmother when I was younger, about five or six years old. My parents let us go stay with her for a few days one summer. 'Cause she was getting up there in age. Then, I idiotically told Mike that I knew he wasn't my real dad."

"And I bet that was the last time you ever got to see her."

"Yeah, my dad's kind of a strange guy like that."

The saddened vibe of Raven's voice tugged at Jacob's sensitivity. He wouldn't have asked if he'd known it was going to make her feel bad. He wished he never did. At the same time, the mere mention of Mike's name raised an awful flaming anger in him. "How were you supposed to know that was the wrong thing to say?"

"I know. River blamed himself for not warning me, but it wasn't his fault either. Oh! She did take us to a celebration when we were there. I just remembered."

"How'd you like that?"

"It was one of the best dances I ever saw. I remember thinking how beautiful the people looked all dressed up in their native regalia."

The excited rise in Raven's voice when she mentioned the celebration offered his conscience a little relief. He was also pleased to hear her refer to the celebration as a celebration, instead of a powwow like non-natives called it. "I could take you to the next one we have here, if you want? We have them on special occasions, but we have our biggest one during the summer."

"Oh, that'd be great. I'd really like that." She yawned.

Jacob was enthralled by the soft sound of her breath, finding an enormous amount of satisfaction in that he made the attempt to get to know her. "So when can I see you?" he asked on impulse.

"I was going to mention something about that to you today." She sounded just as eager to see him. "My mom has some work in La Push now, so she'll be going there on Wednesday and again on Saturday. I can go with her if you want me to?"

"Wednesday's perfect." It was the closest day. "I can't wait." After she hung up, Jacob remembered that he'd forgotten to tell her to call him again. He hoped that maybe she would regardless.

The next night the clock ticked by. It was getting later than the other times that she called. Jacob sat at the kitchen table, impatiently shaking his leg and tapping his fingers. Each second felt like an eternity. He was certain she wasn't going to call. He couldn't wait any longer. He jumped up, took off his shirt, and kicked out of his shoes. He was already out the door by the time the trailing sound of Billy's voice asked him where he was going.

Before Jacob knew it, he was standing across the street from Raven's house. He waited, contemplating whether or not to just turn around and go home. He saw the lights turn on in Raven's room. _Heck with it! I'm already here. _He took a couple of soaring bounds, practically flying across the street. He knelt down and tapped on her window. A second later the curtain moved. "Jacob!" Raven gasped throwing herself back, astounded.

"Sorry, sorry," he uttered. Raven put her finger to her lips, opening the window. A more potently intoxicating vanilla-lavender fragrance than he scented the last time he saw her, floated at him, hitting him heavily. He gulped hard.

"Shh…I'll get in trouble. What are you doing here?"

There was more confusion than anger on her face. "I forgot to tell you to call me," he whispered.

She shook her head, scrunching her brow incredulously. "How did you know this was my room?"

"Uuuh..."

Raven leaned to the side and peered around him into the street. "Never mind that, how did you get here? And where's your shirt?"

_Damn, I forgot about that._ "Hold on, one thing at a time," Jacob took a deep breath, thinking of his response while he slowly exhaled. Then he attempted to explain. "I was out running tonight. The light turned on. I figured it was your bedroom, being it was on the bottom floor. I thought I'd say hi."

"Well, lucky for you, you were right," she said a little calmer, whispering extra low. "Wait a minute, you ran all the way here from La Push, at this hour?"

"No, I parked my car at my friend's house. You know, the Sheriff around the corner. I run with him sometimes. He likes to run in the dark," he rambled. "He doesn't like people to see him." _That doesn't even make sense. _"Don't ask me why."

The confusion in her eyes seemed to get worse.

"All righty then, guess I'll see you later," Jacob mumbled, feeling like a complete moron. He knew it was time to go, and was about to do just that, when he found himself unthinkingly leaning into the window and kissing her on the cheek.

Her eyes popped out of her head, even more shocked than before. "Hurry, you have to go," she urged, shooing him out with both of her hands.

"Okay," Jacob whispered then added, "call me…..if you want to… if it's not too late for you, that is." He got to his feet, striding away from the window. _Now_ _I'm acting like a freakin' idiot, and it's a good thing she didn't notice my bare feet. _Mentally scolding himself, he headed in the direction of Charlie's house. Once he was sure he was completely out of Raven's line of sight, he crossed the street and sprinted home.

When he stumbled back into his own house, Billy was baffled. "What in the world was that all about?"

Jacob raised his eyebrows, shrugging his shoulders. He couldn't answer because he had no idea what set him off his rocker. Twenty minutes later Raven finally called. "I just called to say, you really scared me tonight!"

"I know. I know. I'm sorry."

"Nobody heard you so I guess it's all right. I'll see you tomorrow, four-thirty, in front of the resort, if that's okay?" she whispered.

"Sure, sure, and yeah, that was really dumb on my part. I could have got you in some serious trouble. I'm glad you found it in your heart to call me anyway."

* * *

Jacob arrived a few minutes early and waited at a table in front of the resort. Raven and her mom drove into the parking lot about twenty minutes later. He didn't know whether or not he should go over and introduce himself because he wasn't sure what Raven had told her mother. He stood up and Raven waived him over.

"Mom, this is Jacob. Jacob, this is my mom, Abby," Raven introduced, while hopping off the car.

Jacob leaned down and waved at Abby. "Hi, Mrs. Um…Raven's mom." He flinched, realizing he didn't know if she and Raven had the same last name.

"Mrs. Engle. It's very nice to meet you, Jacob. You'll have to forgive me, I'm too late to ask you a thousand questions and read you some sort of intimidation act." Her expression was composed. He got the idea she didn't smile all too often. Her eyes were soft and kind though. "Next time for sure." She winked.

When she did smile, it was apparent she was Raven's mother, an older, tired version of Raven. He smiled back, gathering she wasn't very worried about leaving her daughter with a huge Indian stranger guy. "Raven, I'll be back here in two and a half hours. Two and a half hours," she repeated sternly, resting her eyes on Jacob. She handed Raven a cell phone and gave her a phone number just in case Raven needed to get a hold of her but told her not to answer it if Mike called.

"So, two and half hours, what do you want to do?" Jacob questioned optimistically, as soon as Abby drove away.

"This is your town, you decide."

"Let me see, we could stay on the beach," he suggested, kicking himself for not thinking to make any kinds of plans ahead of time. "Take a drive somewhere or go to the Rec Center?" He pointed toward the little town.

"What's at the Rec Center?"

"Just some old video games, pool table, pinball machine, basketball court, stuff like that. It's where everyone hangs out. All my friends hang out there."

"I don't think I'm really ready for that yet. Could you show me around this place?" she asked, gazing around the resort.

"Sure, sure," he agreed.

There were tourists taking pictures of the whales. The clicking sounds of camera flashes were going off consecutively. For a moment, Jacob thought someone had taken a picture of him and Raven. They took a few steps, and he got that eerie feeling that they were being watched. He spun around in a full circle, surveying all around him.

"Is something the matter?"

"No, just one of those weird _somebody's watching me_ moments."

Raven smiled. "I know exactly what you mean."

They walked around the resort and up the beach, talking about school, their friends, and their teachers. The ones they liked and the ones they didn't. Along the way, Jacob showed Raven little monuments and carvings strategically placed around the resort and up the coastline, explaining to her what each one signified. They paused at a six-foot carving of a wolf. Jacob observed Raven as she traced the wolf with her fingers. Her hair was fluttering gently in the light airy breeze. "It's beautiful."

"It's sort of like our mascot." Jacob searched for a way to help her understand its significance. "Did you ever hear any legends about your dad's tribe?"

Raven thought for a moment then told him all she could remember was that they were from the Bear clan and something about a white buffalo. She also remembered a bedtime story her grandmother told her where the entire tribe hid underground during the great flood and a corn woman, _Mother Corn_ they called her, led them back out when it was safe. She was sacred to them." Raven smiled thoughtfully. "Like I said, it was a long time ago. I was really little."

"Well, it's something like that with my people and the wolf," he wasn't sure how much he should tell her. Raven was clenching her fists in her coat pockets, causing Jacob's sudden awareness of the dropping temperature. The clouds were glowing amber from the rapidly setting sun. Looking up at the sky, Jacob said, "We should probably get back. I'm sure it's almost time for your mom to pick you up."

He grabbed Raven by the hand, rapidly tugging her in the direction of the resort. "Slow down, Jacob. She won't leave without me."

"Sorry, I just don't want to get you into trouble." He slowed his pace. "That way you'll be able to come back."

"What's wrong with you? Your hand feels like it's on fire."

Startled, Jacob immediately let go of her hand and wiped his sweating palm on his trunks. "I get hot sometimes." He heard his words as soon as they came out. Shaking his head, he laughed at himself. "That didn't come out right."

Raven erupted with laughter. "It's nice to know I'm not the only one who trips up on occasion."

"Yup, it feels like it's happening to me more than I'm used to. It's really starting to freak me out, actually."

"Maybe I'm just rubbing off on you."

_She doesn't know the half of it. _When they got back to the parking lot, Jacob was relieved to see that Abby wasn't there yet. He and Raven sat down at a table to wait. "You never said what kind of work your mom was doing around here," he reminded her.

"Oh. She's a home healthcare nurse. She takes care of people that are sick or elderly. She checks their blood pressure, cooks and cleans, keeps them company. Whatever it is they need."

"Hmm, I wonder if it's anyone I know," he mused out loud, considering who it might be. "I'm sure it is. I know everyone in La Push."

"She told me the names but I don't remember. I think one of the names was Walker, Ella Walker."

Jacob spotted Abby pulling back into the parking lot. As he walked Raven to the car he said, "Hey. I'm going running again tomorrow after school if you want to come. If not, will you come back Saturday? I thought that's what you said."

Raven grinned. "Sure, I could come back Saturday. I can go running tomorrow, too."

"Sounds good, I'll meet you on the path in the woods across the street from your house. About three?"

"Three's perfect, Mike won't be home."

Jacob opened the car door and waited for Raven to get inside, then leaned into the car and waved goodbye to Abby. Watching them drive out of sight, he admitted to himself he had no idea what he was attempting to do by hanging out with Raven. All he knew was that she was growing on him, in a way he didn't think she should have been. He tensely rubbed the back of his neck, feeling heavily concerned.


	4. Waiting to Exhale

**Chapter 5**

_**Waiting to Exhale **_

"I can't believe your mom's helping you sneak around like that," Kristy remarked, shaking her head in awe. She was spread across Raven's bed, wiggling her feet. Mike had recently started letting her come around again.

"It's not like that," Raven defended. "She remembers what it was like when she was a teenager. Apparently, my grandpa didn't let her hang out with guys either."

Raven also got the impression that Abby loved going out to La Push just as much as _she_ did. Abby was always in a cheerful mood on the drive out and seemed to always be smiling gleefully and contented on the way home. Raven concluded, perhaps Abby didn't like to be around Mike all that much herself.

"It seems like I hardly get to see you anymore," Kristy whined. "I finally get to come over and hang out, and you're always gone. Remember, guys will come and go, but your female friendships will last a lifetime."

Raven frowned, feeling like a terrible friend. It was true. Abby's regular La Push schedule was Wednesday afternoons and most of the day on Saturdays, which was fine by Raven. In addition, Jacob started coming by a couple times a week to take her jogging or just to hang out so there truly was little time left for Kristy. "Maybe, you could come with me out to La Push sometime."

"I'd feel like a third wheel," Kristy groaned. "Besides hiking, biking, fishing, watching boring sports on television, and whatever else you two do doesn't sound anywhere near my idea of a good time."

"Then I feel sorry for you." Raven flipped her hair over her shoulder and turned up her nose, faking arrogance. "I guess you're not sophisticated enough to know what a good time is."

"Sheesh, if that's the case, I hope I never am." Kristy smirked.

"Jacob's going to take me to the Rec Center tomorrow. I'm kind of nervous because the only person I've met so far is his dad and one of his friends, Seth."

"Is he hot?" Kristy jerked upright to a sitting position, going from inattentively bored to excitedly curious in one second flat.

"He's pretty cute, I guess, but he's only like fifteen or something."

"Oh," Kristy glumly replied. She plopped herself back down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling with her hands behind her head. "Let see, you've been hanging out with Jacob now for what? Nearly a month and he still hasn't kissed you?"

"No, he hasn't. Just on my cheek, and sometimes he very gentlemanly kisses my hand. I just can't figure him out." Raven was baffled. "He puts his arm around me all the time, and he always holds my hand. Just when I think he's going to kiss me, he just doesn't. It's almost as if he purposely stops himself, purposely changes the subject to something else."

"Or someone else. Maybe he's got a girlfriend," Kristy suggested. "Are you sure you're not just a gal pal, Rave?"

"He better not have a girlfriend." Raven was horrified at the thought. "It has to be more than the friendship thing. He's always so happy to see me. I could see it plainly in his eyes. I talk to him every night, only because he asks me to call him every night. Even on the nights of the days I've already seen him, he wants me to call him."

"Weird!" Kristy exclaimed. "He sounds like one needy strange puppy to me."

Raven pretended not to hear her. However, Kristy's words weren't entirely baseless. Raven reflected on how odd it was that Jacob always generated so much body heat. She loved resting near him, especially when it was cool out. Nevertheless, she couldn't deny the irregularity of his body temperature.

He rarely had his shirt on - a definite plus – although not at all normal, considering the general climate in the area. A few times, he even went without shoes. Whenever Raven questioned him about it, he gave her some lame excuse about getting them wet or needing to give his feet a break. How could they get a break being exposed to the rough forest terrain? He even jogged that way sometimes, never breaking a sweat.

Occasionally, when Jacob thought she wasn't paying attention, he'd lean over and inhale, almost as if he was breathing her in. That was actually sort of nice, in a peculiar, _kinky_ kind of a way. She smiled internally at the sentiment. Aside from him being gorgeous, witty, and smart, it was the way he emotionally touched her that had her hooked, line and sinker. He always knew exactly what kind of mood she was in and was very considerate of her every need. He made her feel special. He made her feel safe.

Furthermore, there were the physical aspects she underwent in his presence. Every time he gave her his bright sunny smile, she lost her breath, her heart raced, and her tummy tumbled. She couldn't deny she was deeply in love with him. She thought about how she might possibly die if she ever found out none of it was real and he had a girlfriend somewhere, as Kristy suggested.

"Raven, are you okay?" Kristy asked, nudging Raven from her disheartening thoughts.

"I was just thinking about what you said. You know, about him having a girlfriend. I'm not naïve, Kristy, there has to be a reason he hasn't kissed me." Her voice cracked. "It's just that…well, there's so much about him that I love. It's really starting to worry me."

"Ah, Rave. Never mind what I said. You know him better than I do. If you genuinely believe he has feelings for you, I'm sure he does," Kristy comforted. "He probably cares so much about you he doesn't want to rush you into anything. You did say he's gentlemanly. Don't worry about it. I'm sure it'll happen soon."

* * *

Jacob was hoping that Quil or Embry would be at the Rec Center. He didn't check with either of them ahead of time because he never found a way to approach the subject of Raven with them. He was already confident that he'd be badgered out of his mind once they got wind he was hanging out with an unfamiliar girl. He decided it would be better to spring it on them with her around. That way, they'd be less likely to ask him any questions.

He glimpsed Raven as she exited his car. She had her head tilted into her palm and she was fiddling with her earring, a sign that typically indicated she was nervous or distressed. He came around the car, sensing the rapid increase in the beats of her heart. "Is everything okay?" he asked.

She nodded, smiling sweetly, with one corner of her lips turning up. It was a smile he never saw on her face before. He wasn't exactly sure what it meant. "Sure, everything's perfectly fine," she replied.

He reached for the lock of hair that was obstructing her deep dark eyes and smoothed it behind her ear, then clasped her by the hand. "Good because there's nothing for you to worry about."

She exhaled, flashing him a more sincere grin.

As soon as they walked through the doors, he spotted Quil and Embry on the basketball court, playing a game of one-on-one. Stopping the game, their eyes simultaneously dropped to his and Raven's entwined hands. Embry's eyebrow rose speculatively as he and Quil exchanged curious glances. Jacob clenched his teeth. If he could have gotten away with it, without her seeing, he would have cuffed both of them upside the head for the indiscreet faces they were making.

Raven had lowered her eyes, flushing bright red, much the way she did when he'd first met her. He relaxed, glad she didn't see their rude glances. "Hey guys, what's up?" he greeted, glowering at them sternly. "This is Raven."

Raven lifted her eyes. "Hi."

One look at her and Embry staggered back with his hand over his heart. His eyes went ecstatically wide, and not taking them off Raven, he breathily flustered, "I th-think gravity just moved!"

Jacob instantly froze in panic. Fire blazed within him, and his entire body began to ripple.

Embry laughed uproariously and slapped Jacob on the arm. "Just messing with you, dude. You should have seen your face, priceless!"

"Don't do that to me, Em." He pressed his lips together, breathing in through his nostrils, willing his body back to calm then took a big sigh of relief. Jacob knew that Embry imprinting was entirely possible and his joke hit way too close to home, causing Jacob to rethink taking Raven around any of the other guys. If that should happen, there'd be nothing he could do about it. He emerged from his thought noticing Raven's confused expression.

"So, you're the one he's been disappearing with," Quil kidded.

"I guess I am," Raven answered, blushing bashfully.

Jacob grabbed the basketball from Quil's hands and began taking shots at the hoop. Raven turned toward a bench that was beside the court. "Where do you think you're going? You're playing, too," he challenged.

"What are we playing?" Raven brightened, readily holding her arms out for the ball.

Jacob passed her the ball. "Do you know how to play whale?"

"No, never heard of it."

"Ah, it's just a fancy name for horse," Quil said.

Raven appeared to be momentarily sizing them all up, one by one. She grinned. "Okay, I will, but no one's allowed to dunk it."

Jacob, Quil, and Embry eyed each other comically, laughing out loud, as if they'd just become aware of their height. They played a few games and Raven was actually able to win one of them. She was a pretty good shot for tiny little thing, Jacob silently admitted. Raven showed them a game called lightning that River taught her how to play, and they played a few rounds of that.

He was pleased by how well Raven was fitting in with the guys, but every once in a while, he caught Quil staring at him and Raven peculiarly. Jacob and Raven teamed up and played a couple games of table hockey against Quil and Embry until Quil announced it was time for him to take off. He was supposed to babysit Claire later that afternoon.

Raven checked her phone and realized she missed a call from Abby. "I have to call my mom." Raven began to walk toward the door. "I'm going outside. I need better reception."

They watched Raven walk away. Embry nodded his head appreciatively, drawing out the word "nice" as she drifted out the door.

Jacob scowled and took a pretend swing at Embry. At that moment, Quil began to grill Jacob about what was going on. _I should have known this was coming, _Jacob thought. At first, he tried to convince Quil that he and Raven were just friends hanging out, but Quil didn't buy it. "It looks like a hell of lot more than that to me!"

The conversation was interrupted when Raven strolled back inside to ask Jacob if she could wait at his house until Abby picked her up. One of Abby's elderly patients had gotten sick, so Abby was at the hospital and wasn't sure how much longer she would be. Jacob offered to drive Raven home, but Raven insisted that she had to return with Abby.

"Stay as long as you need to," Jacob offered.

"I'll go call her back. I'll be outside waiting for you." She was smiling comfortably as she walked away.

When she got out the door again, Quil started in, again. "What about Renesmee?" Quil murmured.

Jacob instantly saw red. Quil was pushing his patience to the limit. "What about her?" Jacob demanded, raising his voice. He was infuriated by Quil's remark. "She's a kid."

"Ah, leave him alone, Quil!" Embry interceded. "If the guy wants to sow his oats while he has time, more power to him."

Quil glared at Embry.

"That's not what I'm doing," Jacob clarified. He paused then said, "I just can't seem to help myself."

"Well, of course he can't. Did you _not_ see her, Ouil?"

This time they both glared at Embry.

"What _are _you doing then, Jake?" Quil prodded. "Have you seen the way she looks at you? She looks like she's in love with you or something!"

Jacob did see the way she looked at him. It was one of the main reasons he kept going back. He enjoyed hearing her heart rate increase and seeing her eyes light up when he came around. But Quil was right! Jacob would never be more than a friend to her. His destiny had already been revealed. Jacob cast his eyes to the floor, feeling ashamed. "She's just fun to be with. That's all, guys. I just like being with her."

"Look, I'm not going to pretend to understand what's going on with you and her. And I'm happy for you. I really am. If anyone deserves this, it's you, especially after everything you've been put through," Quil explained. "I just hate to see someone else with a broken heart. We all know what that feels like, remember? Accept it, Jake. You're an imprinted man."

They were all outside now. Jacob told Quil not to worry and that he'd work everything out. Hurting Raven was the last thing Jacob ever wanted to do.

They drove to his house in silence, while he considered how easily the day went from fantastic to sucking. He felt really, really depressed. He couldn't ignore Quil's remarks, or the guilt that followed them.

"What's the matter, Jacob? You're being awfully quiet all of a sudden," Raven asked, her happy eyes filled with concern.

"Everything's good. I was just thinking about something that Quil said earlier, but it's not important. Well, it is important but I'll figure it out later."

Jacob and Raven pulled into his yard. There was a brand new Jeep parked in the driveway. Jacob wondered who was there, until he spotted Leah and Sue. "It's Sue and Leah Clearwater, Seth's family," he mumbled. _Great this is all I need._

Sue and Leah were wheeling Billy out the door. Billy explained that they were going over to Old Quil's place to have another sweat lodge ceremony.

"You must be Abby's daughter," Sue said, smiling at Raven.

"Yes, do you know her?"

"I do. We met over at Old Quil's house one day, and she was very nice," Sue complimented. "This is my daughter Leah," she said, gesturing toward Leah.

"Hello," Raven said, lifting her hand and waving at Leah.

Leah grumbled, rolling her eyes and tossing her head away from Raven.

"I was at Charlie's house the other day when Bella called." Sue was trying to read Jacob's face. "She asked about you. She said she's tried to call you, but no one is ever home."

Jacob turned and walked away, following after Leah to help her with Billy.

"She said to tell you hi, from _all_ of them." Sue noticeably emphasized the word _all._ "She left a number for you."

"Well, tell her I said hi to _all_ of them back." Jacob grimaced, not trying to hide his irritation one iota.

He really didn't want to have to hear about it, let alone think about it anymore, not at the moment anyway. He finished loading Billy's wheelchair and they drove out of sight. As soon as they were gone, he lightened up.

"I don't think Leah liked me," Raven stated matter-of-factly.

"She doesn't like anybody," Jacob admitted. "Something happened and now she's just pissed off at the entire world."

They walked into the house, Jacob turned on the TV, and he and Raven sat down on the tiny love seat.

"So, who's Bella?" Raven asked, eyeing him inquisitively.

"Oh, she's Charlie's daughter. She's married. She moved away a few weeks before I met you… she has a daughter herself." He reached for Raven's hand. She smiled, seeming satisfied.

"Billy said something about a sweat lodge ceremony, what's that?"

Jacob was trying to lift his spirits from their sudden heaviness. He didn't want Raven to feel the least bit neglected by his preoccupied behavior. None of it was her fault. He attempted to force Quil and Sue's conversations with him out of his head while he described how the elders had built a sweat lodge and how they used it, fasting and praying until spiritual things were made known to them.

Jacob told her the men who were sweating sometimes had visions or were visited by the spirits of their ancestors, the ones who traveled the path before them. As Jacob spoke, he realized that Billy had been going over to sweat a lot more than usual the past few weeks. He only did that when he had serious concerns to attend to.

Jacob studied Raven, who was staring at him totally absorbed while he continued to describe the ceremony. "That sounds amazing. I'd love to see something like that," she offered, intrigued.

The melody of her voice and the look in her eyes captured him. He focused on her every quality in return. Her thick dark hair was tied up loosely behind her head with a few strands hanging subtly in front of her face. Her lips were pink and so were her cheeks. Her eyelashes were extraordinarily long and thick. Jacob could see hints of her Native American features clearly. She was astonishingly beautiful.

He was unexpectedly overwhelmed by the desire to kiss her, a desire he didn't think twice about trying to fight. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, his eyes sinking into hers as she tilted her head up toward him. Their lips touched, and Jacob instantaneously felt her body liquefy within his arms.

Abruptly, he was aware that all five of his sharp senses were feverishly at work. He was seeing the enticing glow of her beauty, drowning in the savory fragrance of her skin, and tasting the tangy essence of her lips simultaneously, along with the enchanting sound of her sigh and the soft delicate feel below his fingertips. It was unbelievable! His heart frantically pounded in his chest and his body temperature soared through the roof, electricity shooting from every single nerve ending, causing his body to burst with pleasure from the nape of his neck to the tips of his toes.

Trying to regain control of himself, he attempted to slow the movement of his mouth, loosening his grasp. Raven urgently pressed her body further into his. Perceiving the sudden quickening of her heart and breaths, she became even more irresistible to him. He tightened his arms around her and continued letting himself drown in her kiss.

A car horn roared deafeningly in the quite, pulling them apart, and it was probably good that it did. Raven stood up quickly. She was beaming with blissfulness. "I'm going to the movies in Port Angeles with my friend Kristy tomorrow. Will you come? Maybe bring Quil or Embry? If they're not already seeing someone, I mean."

"What time?"

"I'll call you later and let you know."

"I'll try to bring Embry. He thinks he's some kind of a ladies' man, already been out with most of the girls around here."

The horn blared again. Raven kissed him swiftly and ran to the door. She turned back just as she stepped outside. "Finally, for a while there I thought I was going to have to ask," she teased with a playful grin.

Jacob smiled back at her, noting the odd irony of her comment and thinking, _Jeez, what the hell's wrong with me?_


	5. Love Actually

**Chapter 5**

**_Waiting to Exhale_**

"I can't believe your mom's helping you sneak around like that," Kristy remarked, shaking her head in awe. She was spread across Raven's bed, wiggling her feet. Mike had recently started letting her come around again.

"It's not like that," Raven defended. "She remembers what it was like when she was a teenager. Apparently, my grandpa didn't let her hang out with guys either."

Raven also got the impression that Abby loved going out to La Push just as much as _she_ did. Abby was always in a cheerful mood on the drive out and seemed to always be smiling gleefully and contented on the way home. Raven concluded, perhaps Abby didn't like to be around Mike all that much herself.

"It seems like I hardly get to see you anymore," Kristy whined. "I finally get to come over and hang out, and you're always gone. Remember, guys will come and go, but your female friendships will last a lifetime."

Raven frowned, feeling like a terrible friend. It was true. Abby's regular La Push schedule was Wednesday afternoons and most of the day on Saturdays, which was fine by Raven. In addition, Jacob started coming by a couple times a week to take her jogging or just to hang out so there truly was little time left for Kristy. "Maybe, you could come with me out to La Push sometime."

"I'd feel like a third wheel," Kristy groaned. "Besides hiking, biking, fishing, watching boring sports on television, and whatever else you two do doesn't sound anywhere near my idea of a good time."

"Then I feel sorry for you." Raven flipped her hair over her shoulder and turned up her nose, faking arrogance. "I guess you're not sophisticated enough to know what a good time is."

"Sheesh, if that's the case, I hope I never am." Kristy smirked.

"Jacob's going to take me to the Rec Center tomorrow. I'm kind of nervous because the only person I've met so far is his dad and one of his friends, Seth."

"Is he hot?" Kristy jerked upright to a sitting position, going from inattentively bored to excitedly curious in one second flat.

"He's pretty cute, I guess, but he's only like fifteen or something."

"Oh," Kristy glumly replied. She plopped herself back down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling with her hands behind her head. "Let see, you've been hanging out with Jacob now for what? Nearly a month and he still hasn't kissed you?"

"No, he hasn't. Just on my cheek, and sometimes he very gentlemanly kisses my hand. I just can't figure him out." Raven was baffled. "He puts his arm around me all the time, and he always holds my hand. Just when I think he's going to kiss me, he just doesn't. It's almost as if he purposely stops himself, purposely changes the subject to something else."

"Or someone else. Maybe he's got a girlfriend," Kristy suggested. "Are you sure you're not just a gal pal, Rave?"

"He better not have a girlfriend." Raven was horrified at the thought. "It has to be more than the friendship thing. He's always so happy to see me. I could see it plainly in his eyes. I talk to him every night, only because he asks me to call him every night. Even on the nights of the days I've already seen him, he wants me to call him."

"Weird!" Kristy exclaimed. "He sounds like one needy strange puppy to me."

Raven pretended not to hear her. However, Kristy's words weren't entirely baseless. Raven reflected on how odd it was that Jacob always generated so much body heat. She loved resting near him, especially when it was cool out. Nevertheless, she couldn't deny the irregularity of his body temperature.

He rarely had his shirt on - a definite plus - although not at all normal, considering the general climate in the area. A few times, he even went without shoes. Whenever Raven questioned him about it, he gave her some lame excuse about getting them wet or needing to give his feet a break. How could they get a break being exposed to the rough forest terrain? He even jogged that way sometimes, never breaking a sweat.

Occasionally, when Jacob thought she wasn't paying attention, he'd lean over and inhale, almost as if he was breathing her in. That was actually sort of nice, in a peculiar, _kinky_ kind of a way. She smiled internally at the sentiment. Aside from him being gorgeous, witty, and smart, it was the way he emotionally touched her that had her hooked, line and sinker. He always knew exactly what kind of mood she was in and was very considerate of her every need. He made her feel special. He made her feel safe.

Furthermore, there were the physical aspects she underwent in his presence. Every time he gave her his bright sunny smile, she lost her breath, her heart raced, and her tummy tumbled. She couldn't deny she was deeply in love with him. She thought about how she might possibly die if she ever found out none of it was real and he had a girlfriend somewhere, as Kristy suggested.

"Raven, are you okay?" Kristy asked, nudging Raven from her disheartening thoughts.

"I was just thinking about what you said. You know, about him having a girlfriend. I'm not naïve, Kristy, there has to be a reason he hasn't kissed me." Her voice cracked. "It's just that...well, there's so much about him that I love. It's really starting to worry me."

"Ah, Rave. Never mind what I said. You know him better than I do. If you genuinely believe he has feelings for you, I'm sure he does," Kristy comforted. "He probably cares so much about you he doesn't want to rush you into anything. You did say he's gentlemanly. Don't worry about it. I'm sure it'll happen soon."

Jacob was hoping that Quil or Embry would be at the Rec Center. He didn't check with either of them ahead of time because he never found a way to approach the subject of Raven with them. He was already confident that he'd be badgered out of his mind once they got wind he was hanging out with an unfamiliar girl. He decided it would be better to spring it on them with her around. That way, they'd be less likely to ask him any questions.

He glimpsed Raven as she exited his car. She had her head tilted into her palm and she was fiddling with her earring, a sign that typically indicated she was nervous or distressed. He came around the car, sensing the rapid increase in the beats of her heart. "Is everything okay?" he asked.

She nodded, smiling sweetly, with one corner of her lips turning up. It was a smile he never saw on her face before. He wasn't exactly sure what it meant. "Sure, everything's perfectly fine," she replied.

He reached for the lock of hair that was obstructing her deep dark eyes and smoothed it behind her ear, then clasped her by the hand. "Good because there's nothing for you to worry about."

She exhaled, flashing him a more sincere grin.

As soon as they walked through the doors, he spotted Quil and Embry on the basketball court, playing a game of one-on-one. Stopping the game, their eyes simultaneously dropped to his and Raven's entwined hands. Embry's eyebrow rose speculatively as he and Quil exchanged curious glances. Jacob clenched his teeth. If he could have gotten away with it, without her seeing, he would have cuffed both of them upside the head for the indiscreet faces they were making.

Raven had lowered her eyes, flushing bright red, much the way she did when he'd first met her. He relaxed, glad she didn't see their rude glances. "Hey guys, what's up?" he greeted, glowering at them sternly. "This is Raven."

Raven lifted her eyes. "Hi."

One look at her and Embry staggered back with his hand over his heart. His eyes went ecstatically wide, and not taking them off Raven, he breathily flustered, "I th-think gravity just moved!"

Jacob instantly froze in panic. Fire blazed within him, and his entire body began to ripple.

Embry laughed uproariously and slapped Jacob on the arm. "Just messing with you, dude. You should have seen your face, priceless!"

"Don't do that to me, Em." He pressed his lips together, breathing in through his nostrils, willing his body back to calm then took a big sigh of relief. Jacob knew that Embry imprinting was entirely possible and his joke hit way too close to home, causing Jacob to rethink taking Raven around any of the other guys. If that should happen, there'd be nothing he could do about it. He emerged from his thought noticing Raven's confused expression.

"So, you're the one he's been disappearing with," Quil kidded.

"I guess I am," Raven answered, blushing bashfully.

Jacob grabbed the basketball from Quil's hands and began taking shots at the hoop. Raven turned toward a bench that was beside the court. "Where do you think you're going? You're playing, too," he challenged.

"What are we playing?" Raven brightened, readily holding her arms out for the ball.

Jacob passed her the ball. "Do you know how to play whale?"

"No, never heard of it."

"Ah, it's just a fancy name for horse," Quil said.

Raven appeared to be momentarily sizing them all up, one by one. She grinned. "Okay, I will, but no one's allowed to dunk it."

Jacob, Quil, and Embry eyed each other comically, laughing out loud, as if they'd just become aware of their height. They played a few games and Raven was actually able to win one of them. She was a pretty good shot for tiny little thing, Jacob silently admitted. Raven showed them a game called lightning that River taught her how to play, and they played a few rounds of that.

He was pleased by how well Raven was fitting in with the guys, but every once in a while, he caught Quil staring at him and Raven peculiarly. Jacob and Raven teamed up and played a couple games of table hockey against Quil and Embry until Quil announced it was time for him to take off. He was supposed to babysit Claire later that afternoon.

Raven checked her phone and realized she missed a call from Abby. "I have to call my mom." Raven began to walk toward the door. "I'm going outside. I need better reception."

They watched Raven walk away. Embry nodded his head appreciatively, drawing out the word "nice" as she drifted out the door.

Jacob scowled and took a pretend swing at Embry. At that moment, Quil began to grill Jacob about what was going on. _I should have known this was coming,_ Jacob thought. At first, he tried to convince Quil that he and Raven were just friends hanging out, but Quil didn't buy it. "It looks like a hell of lot more than that to me!"

The conversation was interrupted when Raven strolled back inside to ask Jacob if she could wait at his house until Abby picked her up. One of Abby's elderly patients had gotten sick, so Abby was at the hospital and wasn't sure how much longer she would be. Jacob offered to drive Raven home, but Raven insisted that she had to return with Abby.

"Stay as long as you need to," Jacob offered.

"I'll go call her back. I'll be outside waiting for you." She was smiling comfortably as she walked away.

When she got out the door again, Quil started in, again. "What about Renesmee?" Quil murmured.

Jacob instantly saw red. Quil was pushing his patience to the limit. "What about her?" Jacob demanded, raising his voice. He was infuriated by Quil's remark. "She's a kid."

"Ah, leave him alone, Quil!" Embry interceded. "If the guy wants to sow his oats while he has time, more power to him."

Quil glared at Embry.

"That's not what I'm doing," Jacob clarified. He paused then said, "I just can't seem to help myself."

"Well, of course he can't. Did you _not_ see her, Ouil?"

This time they both glared at Embry.

"What _are_ you doing then, Jake?" Quil prodded. "Have you seen the way she looks at you? She looks like she's in love with you or something!"

Jacob did see the way she looked at him. It was one of the main reasons he kept going back. He enjoyed hearing her heart rate increase and seeing her eyes light up when he came around. But Quil was right! Jacob would never be more than a friend to her. His destiny had already been revealed. Jacob cast his eyes to the floor, feeling ashamed. "She's just fun to be with. That's all, guys. I just like being with her."

"Look, I'm not going to pretend to understand what's going on with you and her. And I'm happy for you. I really am. If anyone deserves this, it's you, especially after everything you've been put through," Quil explained. "I just hate to see someone else with a broken heart. We all know what that feels like, remember? Accept it, Jake. You're an imprinted man."

They were all outside now. Jacob told Quil not to worry and that he'd work everything out. Hurting Raven was the last thing Jacob ever wanted to do.

They drove to his house in silence, while he considered how easily the day went from fantastic to sucking. He felt really, really depressed. He couldn't ignore Quil's remarks, or the guilt that followed them.

"What's the matter, Jacob? You're being awfully quiet all of a sudden," Raven asked, her happy eyes filled with concern.

"Everything's good. I was just thinking about something that Quil said earlier, but it's not important. Well, it is important but I'll figure it out later."

Jacob and Raven pulled into his yard. There was a brand new Jeep parked in the driveway. Jacob wondered who was there, until he spotted Leah and Sue. "It's Sue and Leah Clearwater, Seth's family," he mumbled. _Great this is all I need._

Sue and Leah were wheeling Billy out the door. Billy explained that they were going over to Old Quil's place to have another sweat lodge ceremony.

"You must be Abby's daughter," Sue said, smiling at Raven.

"Yes, do you know her?"

"I do. We met over at Old Quil's house one day, and she was very nice," Sue complimented. "This is my daughter Leah," she said, gesturing toward Leah.

"Hello," Raven said, lifting her hand and waving at Leah.

Leah grumbled, rolling her eyes and tossing her head away from Raven.

"I was at Charlie's house the other day when Bella called." Sue was trying to read Jacob's face. "She asked about you. She said she's tried to call you, but no one is ever home."

Jacob turned and walked away, following after Leah to help her with Billy.

"She said to tell you hi, from _all_ of them." Sue noticeably emphasized the word _all._ "She left a number for you."

"Well, tell her I said hi to _all_ of them back." Jacob grimaced, not trying to hide his irritation one iota.

He really didn't want to have to hear about it, let alone think about it anymore, not at the moment anyway. He finished loading Billy's wheelchair and they drove out of sight. As soon as they were gone, he lightened up.

"I don't think Leah liked me," Raven stated matter-of-factly.

"She doesn't like anybody," Jacob admitted. "Something happened and now she's just pissed off at the entire world."

They walked into the house, Jacob turned on the TV, and he and Raven sat down on the tiny love seat.

"So, who's Bella?" Raven asked, eyeing him inquisitively.

"Oh, she's Charlie's daughter. She's married. She moved away a few weeks before I met you... she has a daughter herself." He reached for Raven's hand. She smiled, seeming satisfied.

"Billy said something about a sweat lodge ceremony, what's that?"

Jacob was trying to lift his spirits from their sudden heaviness. He didn't want Raven to feel the least bit neglected by his preoccupied behavior. None of it was her fault. He attempted to force Quil and Sue's conversations with him out of his head while he described how the elders had built a sweat lodge and how they used it, fasting and praying until spiritual things were made known to them.

Jacob told her the men who were sweating sometimes had visions or were visited by the spirits of their ancestors, the ones who traveled the path before them. As Jacob spoke, he realized that Billy had been going over to sweat a lot more than usual the past few weeks. He only did that when he had serious concerns to attend to.

Jacob studied Raven, who was staring at him totally absorbed while he continued to describe the ceremony. "That sounds amazing. I'd love to see something like that," she offered, intrigued.

The melody of her voice and the look in her eyes captured him. He focused on her every quality in return. Her thick dark hair was tied up loosely behind her head with a few strands hanging subtly in front of her face. Her lips were pink and so were her cheeks. Her eyelashes were extraordinarily long and thick. Jacob could see hints of her Native American features clearly. She was astonishingly beautiful.

He was unexpectedly overwhelmed by the desire to kiss her, a desire he didn't think twice about trying to fight. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, his eyes sinking into hers as she tilted her head up toward him. Their lips touched, and Jacob instantaneously felt her body liquefy within his arms.

Abruptly, he was aware that all five of his sharp senses were feverishly at work. He was seeing the enticing glow of her beauty, drowning in the savory fragrance of her skin, and tasting the tangy essence of her lips simultaneously, along with the enchanting sound of her sigh and the soft delicate feel below his fingertips. It was unbelievable! His heart frantically pounded in his chest and his body temperature soared through the roof, electricity shooting from every single nerve ending, causing his body to burst with pleasure from the nape of his neck to the tips of his toes.

Trying to regain control of himself, he attempted to slow the movement of his mouth, loosening his grasp. Raven urgently pressed her body further into his. Perceiving the sudden quickening of her heart and breaths, she became even more irresistible to him. He tightened his arms around her and continued letting himself drown in her kiss.

A car horn roared deafeningly in the quite, pulling them apart, and it was probably good that it did. Raven stood up quickly. She was beaming with blissfulness. "I'm going to the movies in Port Angeles with my friend Kristy tomorrow. Will you come? Maybe bring Quil or Embry? If they're not already seeing someone, I mean."

"What time?"

"I'll call you later and let you know."

"I'll try to bring Embry. He thinks he's some kind of a ladies' man, already been out with most of the girls around here."

The horn blared again. Raven kissed him swiftly and ran to the door. She turned back just as she stepped outside. "Finally, for a while there I thought I was going to have to ask," she teased with a playful grin.

Jacob smiled back at her, noting the odd irony of her comment and thinking, _Jeez, what the hell's wrong with me?_

**A/N** I_ know that what's going on between Jacob and Raven at this point may seem a bit confusing, but as the story plays out it will alll make sense._ =) _Thanks for reading!_


	6. Desperate Measures

**Chapter 7**

**_Desperate Measures_**

Jacob groaned, fidgeting restlessly as he waited for Raven to call him Friday evening. He kept his eyes glued to the telephone while he drove himself crazy suffocating in angst. It sucked!

He knew when he made the decision not to see her anymore it was going to be tough to break it off. However, the struggle that raged inside of him was painfully mind-boggling. He assumed he'd find, at least, a little bit of peace in the knowledge that he was making the right decision. After all, he wasn't ending the relationship for himself. He was ending it for Raven, trying to divert a far more hurtful situation from happening to her later on down the road.

As far as he could tell, the problem he was struggling with, which was causing the major clashing between his egos, was simply that he truly didn't know if he was making the right decision. Ending it didn't feel like the right thing to do. It felt more like he was about to make the biggest mistake of his life - an inkling that didn't make any sense to him at all.

He was aware Raven was anticipating seeing him on Saturday. All week long, he attempted to find way to tell her that he couldn't. Every night when she called he searched for an opening to approach the subject with her, and every night he failed. He hadn't allowed himself to spend any more physical time with her though. _As if that was somehow going make the situation any easier._ He banged his balled-up fist on the table top, angry with himself for letting their friendship become something more.

The phone crashed to floor, making a dinging sound; he exasperatingly yanked it back up. "Hello, is someone there?" he heard coming from the receiver.

"Raven, it's me Jacob."

"That was weird the phone didn't even ring."

"Yeah, I accidentally knocked it off the table. You must have been calling at the same time." He sucked in a breath of air, briefly closing his eyes and let it out slowly, gathering his courage. "Is there any way I can, ah," he gulped, "see you tonight?"

"I wish there was, but it's already late and my dad isn't in that great of a mood. Can't it wait until tomorrow?"

He hoped to deal with the situation in person before she came out to see him Saturday, so she didn't have to be stuck out in La Push all day if she hated him, which there was a high possibility that she would. "I need to talk to you. It's really important," he urged. "Please."

He cringed, irritated with himself for practically begging her to let him break her heart.

"Okay. I'll have Kristy invite me somewhere. No, that won't work. I already know he won't let me go. What about…I can always sneak out?"

"Ooh," Jacob hesitated, "I don't know about that. You might get caught. Maybe I can sneak in."

"You can't sneak in." She chuckled. "Just come by later and help me get out the window. I'm sure if you help, I can do it without making too much noise."

She sounded confident enough. He agreed to meet her by her window as soon as she gave him the signal.

Jacob sat in the woods gazing up at the sky, reluctantly waiting. The dark shadowed tips of the trees were blowing back and forth like giant index fingers all aiming at him, and their rustling leaves were swooshing shame… shame, shame… shame, over and over again. It was ridiculous. He felt absolutely despicable for what he was about to do.

It wasn't just the guilt over hurting her that was torturing him. Curiously, he was also experiencing a certain amount of pain from the reality that he'd no longer be spending time with her.

He huffed, impatiently kicking at a tree. It was taking forever for all lights in the house to turn out.

Raven finally blinked the lights on and off, letting him know that her parents were asleep and she was ready. He tapped quietly on the window. She slid the curtains out of the way and just as she did, he witnessed her entire face light up with happiness when she saw him. He pushed the window the rest of the way up, leaned in, and carried her out without making a sound. As soon as he had a hold of her, she swung her arms around his neck and kissed him. "I missed you," she whispered.

Unable to find his voice, he swallowed hard, only managing a weak smile for her in return.

"Leave the window half open, it's easier that way," she advised.

Jacob nodded and hurried her across the street in a rush to get out of sight. He pulled her swiftly up the path to a tree that they sometimes sat under after they went jogging.

The moon was shining brightly in the small clearing, sparse of trees, so there was enough light to see visibly.

"So what was the urgency, Jacob?"

Her lovely hair cascaded around her face in the most beautifully silky manner. Her perfectly shaped lips were turned up at the corners. She was completely innocent and oblivious that anything at all was wrong. He was fleetingly tempted to sweep her hair away from her eyes but knew it wasn't a good idea to touch her. He gave her a thin smile, trying to find his voice and the courage to do what he needed to do. "Hold on, okay?"

Her smile wilted and her expression fell with concern. "Tell me, Jacob," she pleaded as the beats of her heart began to thump anxiously. "What is it?"

His initial impulse, at the sound of her anxiety, was to curl his arm around her and do everything in his power to make her feel better. He turned away from her purposely avoiding her troubled eyes. The words weren't coming, "I'm trying, Raven. I really am." He forced both of his hands through his hair.

When he turned back, she brushed a wayward tress of hair behind her ear and met his discouraged gaze with so much love and sensitivity he was overcome with raw affection.

His heart pounded with a rush of frantic adrenaline. He felt a powerful and desperate need to get her to understand the way things were with him. Suddenly, and without any prior consideration, he was unexpectedly overwhelmed with the desire to tell her everything about his secret from the beginning to the end. "I have to show you something," he insisted. "Wait here. I'll be right back."

Dashing into the trees, Jacob removed his shirt, shoes, and trunks. He phased, calling Seth to help him to reveal their wolf transforming abilities. He told Seth to approach them in his human form because he wanted to make sure Raven stayed safe and wasn't too frightened by what they were about to show her.

When Jacob returned, Raven was pacing and fiddling around nervously. He winced at the pained glare of uncertainty she gave him.

"Just wait, you'll know everything in a few minutes." He reached for her hand in hopes of settling her racing heart while they waited.

Seth arrived, bringing his trademark happy-go-lucky demeanor with him. "Hey, Raven."

"Hey, Seth." She smiled and Jacob felt her relax.

"Are you ready, Jake?"

"Ready for what?" She stared at the two of them, confused.

Jacob coiled both of his arms around her protectively. Just the tiny sigh of comfort that slipped through her lips when his arms encircled her was enough to cause him goose bumps. "Close your eyes until I say when. Don't be afraid and _trust me_, no matter what."

She shivered in his arms. "Okay."

Jacob gestured for Seth to phase. Raven opened her eyes and saw the huge sandy colored wolf staring back at her. She panicked, struggling to break free of Jacob's arms, her entire body shaking in terror.

"Shh… Raven," Jacob soothed, holding her as firmly as he could without squeezing her. "It's okay. It's just Seth. He won't hurt you. It's Seth."

"Seth?" Raven's mouth dropped open, looking completely lost.

"He won't hurt you," Jacob assured her, tilting his head at Seth and motioning for him to come closer.

Raven froze, not taking her mistrusting eyes off of him. Seth nudged her arm with his muzzle. She slowly reached out to touch his fur. After Jacob felt her relax in his arms, he kissed her on her cheek and again on her ear. Then he swung her around in the opposite direction of Seth and instructed him to phase back.

"Pretty wild, huh?" Seth declared.

Raven didn't utter a word. She dazedly fiddled with her ear, mystified. When Seth left, Jacob blew a huge gust of air from his lungs and casually dropped himself down to the ground feeling a thousand times lighter than he had all week long. There was no doubt in his heart or mind that telling her was the answer he was searching for. He tugged Raven down beside him and grinned. "There, that went better than I thought it would."

"Jacob I…what's, I'm, he…" She covered her face with her palms.

He put his arm around her hips and slid her close beside him, glad to feel that her trembles had fully subsided. She peered into his eyes with wonderment and confusion. "Just listen, Raven. I'm not done."

"You mean there's more?"

He placed both of his hands over hers, looked deep into her dazed eyes, and began to unleash all the secrets. "Okay, it's like this. There really is such a thing as vampires. I mean the literal, bloodthirsty vampires you see in the movies and on TV. You know like the ones on _True Blood_. I know you girls like to watch that show."

Raven placed her palms against her temples and shook her head, as if maybe she didn't hear him correctly. "What…what are you saying to me, Jacob?" She narrowed her eyes reproachfully. "Whatever, just don't tease me like that! I'm freaked out right now."

"I'm serious, Raven. Look, I just showed you a boy that could turn into a wolf."

"Oh, yeah, that's true," she chuckled nervously.

"Just try to have an open mind while I explain."

As soon as Jacob opened his mouth to speak, everything about the wolves, the vampire battles, and the history behind it all fell out effortlessly. It really helped that Raven appeared to be deeply engrossed with all that he revealed to her. He felt like he could tell her anything, and didn't regret his desperate and impulsive decision to do so, one bit. "And that's how and why most of my friends and I shift into wolves.

All the color and clarity had returned to her face. "I don't know what to say," she muttered.

"I know this is a lot to take in all at once. I needed you to know, though," Jacob proclaimed. "I didn't think I did, but I must have because I really feel good about telling you."

"Well, can I see you then?"

"You won't be afraid?"

"Nope," she replied, shaking her head back and forth.

Jacob pursed his lips for short deliberation then sauntered into the trees and came back out as his furrier self. Raven leapt to her feet. She didn't remove her eyes from his eyes for one second as he stealthily approached. When Jacob got close enough to her, she put her arms around his neck and pressed her face against his fur. She was _attractively_ fearless toward him, and Jacob sensed the rapid racing of her heart was from her excitement. She held him that way for a couple minutes before letting him go. He went back into the trees and came back out in his human form.

"You're magnificent, Jacob! The most beautiful wolf I have ever seen." She was in awe.

Jacob couldn't have been happier with her reaction to him. He stretched out where they had been sitting, and Raven nestled against him while he continued to tell her all about himself and the other wolves. At first he intended to play it by ear and only give her as much information it appeared she could handle; however, based on the strength of her receptiveness, his intentions quickly changed to giving her the works.

Before Jacob said anything about imprinting, though, he paused to collect his thoughts. He carefully began with Sam imprinting on Emily.

Raven sat back up and swept her gaze over his face. Her wondering eyes clouded with dread. "Does it happen to all of…?" She coughed forcedly and finished asking, "Will that happen to you?"

_Here goes everything._ Jacob repositioned himself, sitting upright, and opened his mouth to tell her the truth. On the spur of the moment, Raven cupped his face and pressed her lips hard against his. His will bent. He grasped her tightly, thinking how only a few hours earlier he'd thought he'd never taste her kisses again.

When she did let up, she covered his mouth with her hands. "Can we just save the rest for another time?" she asked. "I've already heard so much tonight. I need time to absorb it all."

Jacob nodded, feeling relieved. Nearly all of it was out in the open and Raven seemed comfortable. He figured once she had time to adjust to everything, it would be easier for her to understand imprinting. She was very quiet and Jacob was wondering what she might be thinking as he sat gazing at her, captivated. She smiled and started to giggle.

Jacob slanted his eyes in amusement. "What's the joke?"

"Sometimes I just think funny thoughts." She grinned. "I was thinking about that old thriller video. Thank goodness you didn't transform into a creepy wolf like that!" She laughed. "I can picture you doing that dance, though."

Jacob chuckled at her absurd mental image. Raven wrinkled her nose, making a silly face at him.

"You're goofy," Jacob teased. "I can't believe I just told you all this amazingly unbelievable stuff and all you could think about is a dancing wolf."

She giggled. "Well, things have been tense all night. I want to laugh a little. Besides, it's better than what I was thinking about before."

"What was that?"

She dropped her head.

"C'mon, Raven, I want to know what you're thinking."

"I was thinking about how glad I am that you didn't bring me out here to tell me that you had a girlfriend somewhere," Raven raised her eyebrows as if she was asking him a question, "cause that's what I was afraid you were trying to tell me."

Jacob felt his ears get hot. "No. You're the only girlfriend."

"Good." She slipped her arm through his arm and squeezed him tightly, pressing her head against his shoulder. She was quivering. He wondered how late it was. He lost track of the time and thought that it had to be close to dawn by now. He decided he better get her back home. When they came to the edge of the trees, he immediately noticed the light on in Raven's bedroom, and the window was closed.

"Uh, oh, busted," she panted in instant fear.

They both stood there staring at the illuminated window. Jacob was temporarily without a helpful thought. He didn't know what to do. Raven squared her shoulders and moved forward. Jacob promptly seized her arm and turned her to face him. "Do me a favor, will you?"

She raised her eyebrows and nodded.

"If it gets bad, turn around and come right back out here. I'll take you to Charlie's place. I'll wait right here just in case, until you wave me to go."

Raven's face was pale with fright. She appeared to be more fearful than she was when she first opened her eyes and was met with a gigantic vicious looking wolf. He kissed her tenderly then watched her bravely extend one leg out into the street to cross to the other side.

"Raven," he quietly called.

She turned her head toward him.

"I do love you!" he blurted.

His hand came to the top of his head in surprise as he heard the words he wasn't prepared to say. It was well worth it, though, seeing her terrified expression change to star-struck blissfulness right before his eyes.

She smiled euphorically, gliding across the street and into her house.

He waited anxiously to see what was going to happen next. Somewhere in the vast dark forest, a wolf howled in deathly peril.


	7. The Happening

**Chapter 8**

_**The Happening**_

_Jacob loves me… Jacob loves me._ Raven paused, holding her hand on the doorknob for a second or two. Her legs were weak and her stomach was doing somersaults of joy. Everything felt warm and hazy. Her mind was all but empty aside from, _Jacob loves me_. She entered the house, stepped down the stairs to the lower level, and floated to her bedroom in a stupor.

Mike was waiting inside her room. She was so preoccupied with Jacob's lovely words that she didn't give the trouble she was in a single thought.

_Jacob loves me, Jacob loves me. _She drifted through her bedroom door, vaguely seeing the evil sneer on Mike's disgustingly cruel features.

_Bam!_

She was blinded by a burst of light the same time a loud popping smack rang inside her ears. She bounced off of the dresser and fell to the floor with a thud, automatically curling up into a ball and covering her numbing face with a shaking hand.

Immediately, Abby forced her way between Raven and Mike. She had the phone in her hand, and with the most ferocious tone Raven had ever heard coming from her mother, Abby screamed, "You get the hell out of this house right now or I'm calling 911!"

Mike stumbled back, shocked. He must have known that Abby meant it, too, because he completely backed away, slamming the door and violently pounded his way up the stairs.

Abby sorrowfully picked Raven up from the floor, tilting her head back and searching for something to hold over her nose. Raven felt cold, as if nothing at all was real. Abby locked the bedroom door and cradled Raven until they heard the door slam and Mike's car roar to life and pull out of the driveway. Abby's hard, determined glower fell soft. She peeped out the window to be sure Mike was gone then she rested on Raven's bed, silently staring off into space.

Raven sat quietly for several moments, her thoughts wading through the dreamlike incidents of the night. She finally shook herself out of the daze and grasped that Abby was crying. "I'm sorry, mom," Raven apologized, reaching out for Abby and wrapping her arm around her.

"It's not you, Raven. It was never you." Abby lowered her eyes in disgrace. "You know, when your dad died, I was all alone. We didn't have any money because most of it went to bills. Sure, the army gave us something, but it was never enough.

"I had nowhere to turn. I couldn't go back to my parents even if I'd wanted to. I had no education, because I married so young, with two small children to take care of. Then I met Mike… He helped me find a job and babysat sometimes while I worked. He helped me take classes, and he would cook for us when I got home late.

"I convinced myself that Reed had sent me an angel to help raise you kids. Mike fooled me. The older you kids became, the more resentful he became. I was weak, afraid to be on my own, and I thought I owed him something. I tried to pretend that we were a happy family, to pretend that Mike loved you and River like Reed would have loved you both. That's what allowed me to continue to be with him." Abby laughed tossing her eyes up at the ceiling as tears continued to stream from them.

"It's okay, mom," Raven soothed. "You don't have to feel bad. I understand."

"I know I haven't loved that man since the day when River walked out the door, maybe longer. I don't know why I ever stayed with him. I've missed your brother so much." She wiped her nose with a Kleenex, stifling her sobs, and forced a smile at Raven. "You know, though, we're going to be okay now Raven because Mike is finally gone."

When Abby left Raven's room, Raven picked up the phone and called Fort Bragg. She was praying that someone there could help her find River.

* * *

Jacob's body instinctively exploded at the sound of the howling cries coming from the wolf in danger. From Seth's mind, he was instantly aware of the vampire stenchand that Brady was in a confrontation which wasn't visible to Seth's eyes nor was it clear to his mind.

_What's happening, Seth?_ Jacob howled, sprinting with enormous speed as attack adrenaline pounded through his veins. Several panicked wolves anxiously howled in the distance.

_Bloodsuckers!_ A moment later, Seth spotted Brady lying lifeless in the dark dank clearing, a seething murderous parasite hovering over him. Lone, separated from all other wolves within a close enough proximity to assist him, there was no time to linger. He fixed his eyes on the cold bloodless creature, and without a moment's hesitation Seth soared with all his might, savagely defending his fallen brother.

Jacob heard Sam's panicked thoughts. _Jacob, three vampires and Brady's down_.

Jacob tried to force himself to run faster, as did Sam and the rest of Sam's pack. Jacob watched Seth wrestling with the bloodsucker. Seth was snarling and snapping his teeth with all his might.

_What do you see, Jacob? _Sam shouted in his mind.

_Seth's attacking ferociously_, Jacob relayed back to Sam. Jacob heard Leah wailing in agony for Seth to hold on. Through Seth, Jacob glimpsed two other bloodsuckers dragging Brady away.

_Sam, they're taking Brady._ Jacob snarled wildly, manifesting his sharp upper canines.

_Collin's almost there! _Sam thought.

Jacob watched Seth hurdling through the air and falling to his back, and saliva filled his own mouth as he hungered to sink his teeth into the parasite. He helplessly watched as the bloodsucker leapt for Seth, baring its daggered teeth sadistically as it attempted to go in for the kill. Enraged, Jacob forced himself to move faster with every ounce of muscle in his body, letting out a pained earsplitting howl.

_Seth!_ Leah shrieked in horror.

Seth rolled out of the way, springing back on his paws and spinning in a circle to locate the bloodsucker.

_Collin sees them!_ Sam howled.

Seth looked up and Jacob saw Collin fly over Seth's head, knocking the bloodsucker back. Collin was biting viciously at the bloodsucker. Seth whipped around leaping, as well. Two other wolves, Jared and his younger brother Samson charged out of the darkness pinning down the bloodsucker. Seth's teeth sank in. The bloodsucker was being brutally ripped apart. Leah was now running beside Jacob. Leah and Jacob merged with Sam and his pack, chasing after Brady and the other two vampires.

Jacob listened as Sam mentally told him how Brady had been shot three times, ultimately falling down and fading into silence. _Shot with a rifle? He's dead?_ Jacob questioned.

_Brady didn't think so. The pain felt like a piercing injection and he felt the strange sensation of being drugged before he slipped into unconsciousness,_ Sam recapped.

_The scent's faded_, Jacob growled furiously.

_It's gone_, _we've lost them_, Sam agreed.

The wolves slowed, howling in despair as they all ran in circles trying to recover the scent. It was no use. The packs turned around running at full speed back in the direction of Seth and the others.

Seth, Collin, Jared, and Samson were burning the remains of the vampire when the packs convened in the clearing. Seth phased back into his wolf form, and Jacob and Leah listened as he re-thought the incident. He had been out patrolling with Collin and Brady. They just finished their shift and Jared and Samson were on the way to relieve them. Collin left first. Brady and Seth had jumped a herd of deer.

_We became separated in the chase and by the time I whiffed the bloodsucker, it was too late. If I'd only been able to hear or see Brady sooner…_Seth wailed.

Jacob gave Sam Seth's account. Sam was yelping harshly at Collin, and Collin dropped to the ground and whimpered with remorse. Sam barked an order of silence at the rest of his pack. _Jacob, there can no longer be two packs. It's too dangerous_.

Jacob could hear the Alpha in Sam's decree.

_Under who's command?_ Jacob thought, informing Leah and Seth. _Sam wants to unite the packs._

Leah barked in defiance.

Sam snorted, pawing the ground for a moment. _Jacob we need to talk, alone_.

Jacob followed Sam away from the packs, and they both phased to humans cutting off their connections to the packs entirely.

"The most important thing to me right now, Sam, is figuring out who took Brady, why, and how we can get him back. We can discuss uniting the packs later," Jacob said firmly.

"Listen, Jacob, I know finding out what's going on is important. We need to stay safe to do that. Brady might still be with us if we were all one pack. It's not safe for you three," Sam paused, "it's not safe for her."

Jacob could tell that Sam was genuinely concerned for each wolf's safety, and Leah was weighing heavily on his mind.

"I'll talk with Leah and Seth, and we'll all meet at your house in a few hours. I think everyone needs to get some rest to think more clearly." Jacob thought about Brady and felt defeated.

"Okay, but we stay together. We all travel with our pack brothers from now on, and I'll stop by Brady's place to tell his parents what happened."

Jacob agreed and informed Leah and Seth.

* * *

Jacob, Seth, and Leah were headed in the direction of La Push, considering who might have wanted a live wolf and why. The sun was rising and they were sharing the accounts of the night. _Raven_, Jacob suddenly remembered. _I have to go!_ He changed his direction toward Forks.

_In packs_, Leah thought, and she and Seth rushed after Jacob.

His clothes were right where he'd left them, in the woods across from Raven's house all torn into little bitty shreds. Jacob woofed. _Now what?_

_Here take these, Jake_. Seth came up from behind Jacob and dropped his sweats near Jacob's paws. Jacob clutched them between his jaws and trotted into the brush to change.

When he came out of the trees, he immediately scoped Charlie's Sheriff's vehicle parked in Raven's driveway. He broke out in a cold sweat as he darted to her house, fighting to keep his alarm under control. He feverishly banged at the door attempting to hold back his strength while blood vessel swells surfaced over his muscles.

The door jerked open. Jacob found the slight swelling and a tinge of blood on Raven's nose. His alarm instantly turned to rage.

Raven's eyes lifted wide and she blurted, "He's gone, Jacob. Mike's gone." She instinctively placed her hand on Jacob's chest to calm him, soothing him with her touch and the tone of her voice. "He's gone and he won't be coming back. She finally kicked him out." Raven sighed. "But that's not why the Sheriff's here. He's here because we had burglars this morning. Thank goodness my mom couldn't sleep and she heard someone trying to get in the house. She thought it was Mike so she dialed 911. Charlie got here right away."

"Burglars?" he repeated incredulously, slowly inhaling through his nostrils and exhaling through his mouth while the enlarged swells of his veins faded back to normal.

Charlie finished taking down Abby's statement and walked out of the kitchen and into the living room. "Charlie, what's going on?" Jacob demanded.

"Just a couple lowlifes, probably thought the house was empty. We just had the van that they were driving towed. We'll be charging them with attempted burglary."

"You mean you caught 'em?"

"Yeah, got 'em locked up at the station," he replied, sounding as if it was nothing out of the ordinary.

Jacob turned toward Raven, focusing on her face. Raven fidgeted, turning away and putting her head down.

"I'm really, really sorry, Raven. I d-didn't…" Jacob quietly stuttered, lifting her head back up.

"Not right now, okay," she interrupted in a whisper. "You don't have to be. I never went back outside."

"It's still not all right," he apologetically uttered. "Something else really bad happened last night. I can't explain it right now, and I don't know when I'll be able to see you again either. Don't worry, though."

Raven seemed to comprehend the seriousness in Jacob's tone and didn't ask any questions. She found a piece of paper and finally gave Jacob her telephone number. "Call me as soon as everything's okay." She gave him a subtle yet sincere smile, letting him know that she was fine.

Seth was resting under a tree and Leah was keeping watch when Jacob returned. They headed back home to La Push, walking in silence and grieving over Brady. When they got deep within their borders, they finally felt safe enough to split up.

_I really need to get some rest. I'll meet both of you at Sam's in a few hours_. Jacob yawned, a low howl.

_I don't think mom's home, so can I go with you, Leah?_ Seth never sounded so much like his age as he did that instant.

As Leah and Seth were about to separate from Jacob, Leah paused. _Jacob,_ _I know you and Sam are going to do what you think is best for all of us, but I honestly don't think I could live through Sam's thoughts again_. She hung her head and her eyes welled up with tears.

Jacob felt the miserable, depressing gloom of her demeanor, and he truly felt sorry for her. _It'll be okay. We'll figure something out,_ he comforted.

When Jacob got home, Billy was nowhere to be found so he took a quick shower and jumped in the sack. He fell into a deep sleep and was dreaming about standing in the clearing with his brothers prepared to defend the Cullens, as they had done not so very long ago.

In the dream his pack was standing in a line behind the Cullens and there were several other vampires, friends of the Cullens, standing behind the pack. Without notice, the so called vampire friends behind him screeched. Jacob whisked around and saw his whole pack slaughtered at the teeth of the very vampires that Jacob had convinced his pack to alliance with. He was overcome with grief and he knew it was entirely his fault.

"Jake… wake-up… Jake."

Jacob opened his eyes and realized he was crying. Quil and Embry were standing over him.

"What is it, guys?" He sprung out of bed, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"It's Rachel and Kim. They're gone. Someone's taken them, too." Quil was distressed, most likely thinking of Claire.

Embry took over, "There were notes left at each place that said don't worry, no harm will come to them, and we'll be in contact."

Jacob felt sick to his stomach as he washed his face. _If something happens to Rachel, Billy won't survive._

Embry continued, "Billy's at Sam's place with Paul. Everyone is upset but it's taking nearly all of Sam's strength just to keep Paul and Jared from losing their minds. We tried to call but…"

Jacob couldn't speak. He had dozens of things running through his head at once and felt disorientated. "I have to get over there," he said as he ran out the door about to phase.

"Wait there's more!" Quil hollered.

Jacob stopped dead in his tracks thinking, _how much worse is this going to get?_

"We came to join your pack!" Embry revealed.

"Not now guys, we could talk about that later."

"Now, Jake." Quil was adamant. "Something is going on, and it feels like we're all in danger. Everyone's thoughts are out of control and we can't even focus until we know we'll all be as safe as we can. Sam's under the impression that you won't be willing to unite packs, so that's why Embry and I came to you!"

"Was that an order from Sam?" Jacob questioned.

Embry chimed in, "It was a suggestion but we volunteered. We know how bad you feel about separating the packs in the first place and five is better than three."

"Ugh, okay, whatever, guys. Now let's get going," Jacob bellowed. As they all phased to a sprint, Jacob felt the instant connection.

_It's a lot easier to concentrate now that I don't have to listen to everyone thinking at once,_ Embry thought.

Quil agreed,_ Sure is_.

_I have to admit, it sure feels good to hear you guys again_, Jacob barked.


	8. The Accidental Tourist

**_Chapter 9_**

**_The Accidental Tourist_**

Quil trotted to the house and curled up on the ground, under the porch beside Samson, watching Claire pull a wagon full of toys around.

It was deathly quiet as Jacob walked into Sam's house with Embry. He was surprised to see that not many of the others were there. Sam had ordered them all to stay close to their families until they could figure out what was happening. Jacob turned to Paul. "Where's Billy?"

"He wasn't feeling well, so Emily gave him something to help him rest. He's asleep in the bedroom." Paul's voice was quiet with worry.

"Are we good, Jacob?" Sam asked, in what Jacob assumed was reference to Quil and Embry joining his pack.

Jacob nodded. "Yeah, we're good."

He gestured a small head nod at Jared, a silent question asking him what he knew.

Jared responded, "Kim's mom said she passed a van pulling out from the road that leads to Kim's house on her way home from late night bingo. When she got home, the door was wide open and Kim was gone. This note was on the floor."

They all sat in silence, trying to make some sense of the whole situation. Leah and Seth walked through the door. Leah sat down beside Jacob. Jacob was about to fill her in regarding Quil and Embry to take away her worries.

"We know, Quil an Em told us on our way here," Leah affirmed, appearing much more at ease than she had earlier.

Embry came in through the back door and sarcastically joked, "Good to hear you again, Leah."

"Yeah, well, just remember I'm second in command," Leah gloated.

"I'll race you for it," Embry joked again.

"Pfft, you don't stand a chance!"

Jacob was listening to the conversation absentmindedly when he suddenly remembered the van that Charlie had towed from Raven's house that morning. He shot out of his chair, startling everyone. "Sam, you have to come with me!" Jacob's mind was racing with anticipation.

"What is it, Jacob? Hey, I'm not kidding you. If you know something you better tell us _all_, right now!" Paul demanded.

"I'm not sure of anything yet, Paul." Jacob knew that Paul couldn't hold himself together long enough to be able to handle any information that Jacob might share with him.

Paul's eyes ignited with craziness. He stood up, swiftly clenching his fists - white knuckled, as veins began jutting up his arms.

"Paul, sit down! That's an order!" Sam calmly commanded.

Paul sat back down but he was shaking violently.

"Hey, Paul, Rachel's my sister. You know I'm just as worried about her as you are. I promise. If what I'm thinking is correct, I'll tell you and Jared everything. Just as soon as I'm sure I have something to tell you."

Paul was working hard to contain himself, taking slow deep breaths, although, by the looks of it, he was in no where near alleviated by Jacob's words.

Jacob grabbed Leah by the arm. "You're coming, too."

"Jared, Paul, you will remain calm until I get back and you _will_ be fine," Sam ordered, in his alpha voice, "and the rest of you, _will_ see to it."

With the worried look Sam gave Jacob, it seemed like more of a prayer than promise, and Jacob realized they had next to no time to find some answers.

He refused to look at either Paul or Jared as he left the house with Sam and Leah.

As they walked to Sam's truck, Jacob passed on the fact that someone had been caught trying to get into Raven's house this morning and that Charlie had them in custody at the police station. "Sam, I think I could get Charlie to let us speak to his prisoners if it's just me and you. And, Leah, if I'm right then Raven's in danger, too. I'll need you to stay with her and Abby until we could figure out the rest."

Leah sighed. "It's a starting point."

"Let's pray you're right," Sam added. "Otherwise, I have no idea where to go from here."

Jacob walked with Leah to Raven's door. He hardly had any patience as he rapidly pounded. Raven peeked out the window before opening up the door. "Raven, Leah needs to stay here until I get back, she'll explain."

"What?" Raven uttered, scrunching her forehead confused.

He didn't have time for any kind of a discussion. He jetted back to the truck without answering.

"Don't worry, I'll explain. Jacob can be a goofball sometimes, but he really has somewhere critical he's got to be."

* * *

Charlie sat up straight, narrowing his eyes questioningly as Jacob and Sam resolutely waltzed into the police station.

"Jacob, Sam, anything wrong, boys?" He eyed them suspiciously.

"Nothing's wrong, Charlie, we're just here to talk to your lowlifes," Jacob casually announced.

"Absolutely not, Jacob." He shook his head, glaring uncompromisingly. "You know me better than that."

Jacob and Sam momentarily locked eyes, conveying to each other that one way or another, they were going to be talking to those prisoners. "C'mon, Charlie," Jacob gruffly implored. "We just want to put the fear in them, make them think twice next time."

Charlie rolled his eye, agitatedly tapping his pen against his desk donning an, _I don't have time for this, kids_, attitude. "Nope, it's not happening."

"Raven's terrified. Her dad's not around and ah… You know I'd do the same thing for Bella, Charlie… If you weren't around." Jacob reckoned his last remark would at least soften him up a bit. Bella was Charlie's weak spot.

Charlie groaned, hesitated for a long few seconds then caved. "Two minutes." He held up his hand with two fingers spread, his expression rigorously hard. "Then you boys get going. I mean it. I don't want to see you back here."

Jacob winked at Sam triumphantly. Charlie led them to the jail cells, spread his two fingers again, and repeated himself. He left the area mumbling to himself, "I've got to be out of my mind."

Jacob and Sam smirked at each other as if they were about to enjoy what was coming next.

Sam didn't waste a second asking the short stout man standing near the bars, "What were you doing at that house this morning?"

The taller skinny guy walked up to the bars, as well. Jacob and Sam were standing on either side of the two men. "Who are you? Our Lawyers? We don't have to tell you nothing," the skinny man daringly replied.

Jacob threw Sam a virtually telepathic glance, and in one swift move they each had a hold of one of the men by the back of the head. Both men's faces were being tugged into the bars, crushing their cheeks and noses. The two men tried to struggle but Jacob and Sam were too strong, they couldn't move and an inch. They cowardly yelled for help.

"Don't call for Charlie. Haven't you ever heard of small town justice? He's the one who sent us in here, as a matter of fact," Jacob shouted. "Charlie, just open the cell up!"

The two men gave in gutlessly. "What do we care, we already got paid half the money and we didn't deliver the girl so we aren't going to get the other half," the short man said."

Jacob loosened his grip.

"Some weird guy we met in Seattle offered to pay us $3000 dollars to come here and take someone back to Seattle. We were told to go to the La Push Beach Resort, room 203, and someone would tell us when and where to go from there. After that, we were supposed to take the person back to Seattle completely unharmed, and the weird guy said he would find us," the short guy gushed.

"Yeah, and he was really weird, too. He had these creepy colored eyes and this plaster pasty, zombie face. It was… he really freaked me out! I was scared to say no," the skinny guy added so that Sam would loosen his grip as well.

"Who was in the room?" Sam continued.

"Just a guy, he gave us a picture and an address, some tape and some rope, and told us to do exactly what the creep said."

"He seemed like an undercover cop to me. That's why I thought we got caught," the short guy offered.

Jacob gestured to Sam with his eyes. "That's it then." And they both let go of the man they were holding.

When they walked back out, Charlie cocked an eyebrow, amused. "Well, did you get your jollies, boys?"

"Yeah, yeah, we did. Ah… thanks a lot, Charlie." Jacob smiled gratefully, waving good bye.

"See you, Charlie," Sam said, signifying goodbye with a nod of his chin, both of his hands stuffed in his pant pockets.

Sam and Jacob drove straight back to Sam's and picked up Jared, Paul, and Embry then proceeded to the La Push Beach Resort. Quil, Seth, and Samson stayed behind to keep an eye on Sam's place. Jacob and Sam relayed the story to the others on the way to the resort. They went directly to room 203. Sam covered up the peephole and knocked.

The door was opened by a bald middle-aged man. Panic struck his expression when he spotted Jacob and Sam. He urgently attempted to slam the door but Jacob and Sam were already entering the room followed by Paul, Jared, and Embry.

Jacob quickly catalogued the room with his eyes. He noticed several pictures of himself, Sam, Emily, Seth, Embry, Paul, Brady, Collin, Rachel, Billy, and Raven; there were pictures of everyone at all their hangout spots, scattered over the entire room.

"Who are you and what do you want with us?" Sam demanded.

The bald man was holding both of his palms faced out, covering his eyes in terror. He backed away saying, "I'm just a private investigator, that's all I am. Please, don't hurt me!"

"It's okay. It's okay. We're not here to hurt you. We just want answers," Jacob assured, using a friendly gentle voice to try and calm the man.

They gave the man some time to catch his breath, and then Sam began the interrogation.

The bald man told them a story about being hired by a man with a foreign accent to perform surveillance on a young man in La Push. He didn't know what for; he'd just assumed that it had something to do with drugs or money.

"I was handed a picture of that one," he said, pointing at Jacob. "First, I was told to gather information about you. Where you went, who you hung with, and so forth. I was supposed to be on the lookout for a tight group of young men that would be associated with you. Once I identified the group, I was told to gather information on all your acquaintances, always taking pictures."

"Get on with it," Paul grumbled, impatient.

"Here's where it got weird. Next, I was told to gather unlimited information on all your acquaintances' acquaintances. I knew I had gotten involved in something strange, but I didn't know how to get myself out of it. They wouldn't allow me to leave. I continued to take photos and gather info as hired. Finally, the foreigner contacted me again, telling me to identify the least surrounded individuals. Once that was complete, I was instructed to give photos of the selected individuals to some other guys that…"

A low guttural growl escaped Paul. "…tear your heart out, you son of b…!" he roared, diving across the room, arms stretched and going for the man's throat.

Jacob and Sam threw themselves in front of the bald man. Paul was rippling, about to burst. "Paul, stop!" Sam shouted. "Get him outside!"

Jared and Embry wrestled Paul out the door.

Sam followed. "Jared, you're okay to stay and listen if you can keep yourself calm."

"I think we get it," Jacob glared, furiously battling to keep his own wolf under control. "Who's your boss and how do we find him?"

"That's just it, I don't know. He calls me. I've never even met him. I've only ever spoke with him on the phone. I met a contact of his once when I was first hired and was given the picture of you."

Sam and Jared returned to the room.

"Well, when will he be contacting you again?"

"Tonight, once the packages… uh… persons are delivered, I was supposed to do one last thing. Then I would be allowed to go home. I've already been here nearly two months.

"What was that one last thing?"

"I don't know. I was waiting to be contacted for more instructions." The man's expression was a combination of fear and exhaustion. Jacob almost pitied him.

"I guess we wait," Jacob said to Sam.

The man fidgeted, obviously extremely uncomfortable, while Sam, Jacob, and Jared waited with him. Jacob was flipping through the photos casually when he came across one of himself playing with Nessie at Carlisle's home.

What he realized plowed into him painfully. He clutched at his skull, his insides flooding with guilt. Instantly his legs felt flimsy, and he dropped down on the bed beside the man.

The man glanced at the photo Jacob was holding. "That was the first one I was given."

Jacob felt weak, utterly sickened. "I need some air," he gasped, bolting out the door. _This is my fault, if I wasn't wandering around the Cullen's place, phasing back in forth, giving off my scent to every stinking bloodsucker in the world, this wouldn't be happening to my family right now._

Sam approached Jacob, concerned. "What's the problem, Jacob?"

"I did this… I mean, someone that was on the field the day we stood against the Volturi is behind this."

The phone screamed shrilly. Jared peered out of the room, his eyes flickering with questions. "Jacob, he wants to speak to you…"


	9. When a Stranger Calls

**Chapter 10**

_**When a Stranger Calls**_

Leah silently lay stretched out on the carpet with her eyes closed, shaking her leg restlessly. Raven mindlessly rotated through the television channels, feeling very uncomfortable with Leah's silence, as well as with all the far-fetched information that Leah delivered to her. If she hadn't seen Jacob and Seth for herself, she wouldn't have believed any of it. As it was, she still found it hard to believe.

Jacob was a wolf and his sister had been taken by vampires, and Jacob thought vampires might possibly be after Raven as well. She briefly entertained the notion that perhaps she'd be waking up from a strange and fanciful dream at any moment. Perhaps a nurse, Leah the nurse, would hand her a glass of water and some medication because she was - in all actuality - confined to the psych ward at some strange medical institution. Or, there truly was a Twilight Zone and Raven blindly stumbled into it.

She turned the channel to some stupid reality television show, trying to grasp a little of the "reality" in order to take her mind off all that recently happened and all that she recently learned.

She forced her mind into the program being aired. "I hate girls like that!" she blurted out, annoyed.

Leah opened her eyes and looked at the television set. "Don't you, though?" Leah chimed in. "I mean… you're on television for cripes sake, show some class."

"Not only that, there's always so much drama going on, and the way those girls stab each other in the back for some stupid guy is ridiculous."

"I know. I hate that. You can see that the jerk thinks he's some gift to women, and those idiot girls are all over him, feeding his over blown ego. He isn't even good looking!" Leah sat up enjoying the conversation.

"And where do they find those kinds of girls? Always acting so prim and proper and then being a pig every time some random guy gets them alone. It's disgusting," Raven scoffed.

Leah nodded. "I know! It irritates the hell out me, too, but for some weird reason I still continue to watch it."

Raven grinned. "Well, it reminds us of everything we don't want to be."

"That's very true."

The longer they talked, the more Raven realized how much they had in common. Everything from the music they listened to, to the guys on television they thought were hot.

"You know, Jacob is probably going to want you to stay in La Push tomorrow and we'll have to somehow get your mom out there, too, at least until we know it's safe. Maybe I could have a cookout. That'd be cool. It's been a long time since I got to hang out with any girls."

"My mom will already be out there tomorrow because she didn't get to make her rounds today. You know, because of everything that happened last night. I'm just glad she's finally resting."

"Oh, I know, Jacob told me. He didn't actually 'tell me' tell me, but you know what I mean."

Raven nodded. "Besides, I can't do it tomorrow. My older brother is coming home to surprise my mom. I promised I'd try to get over there to pick him up without her finding out. He's flying into Seattle at noon and my friend Kristy said she would drive me."

"Umm, I don't know if Jacob's going to want you driving to Seattle alone, especially if he and Sam haven't been able to figure things out yet. It'll be way too dangerous. I tell you what, I'll take you in my Jeep. I've been dying to take a road trip anyway."

"That'd be great!" Raven was thrilled at the way Leah was opening up to her. She could see that underneath her rough and tough bitter shell, Leah was actually a very sweet, but an extremely lonely person. Raven felt saddened to know the story behind it all. Leah was awesome and she deserved better than what had been destined for her.

"Can I ask you something, Leah?

Leah nodded. "Ask away."

"How come you didn't like me when we first met?"

Leah's eyebrows lifted. "Oh …It's not that I didn't like you, it was just that… I was pretty jealous," she blatantly disclosed, shocking the wind out of Raven.

She must have caught Raven's incredulous expression. She chuckled, quickly clarifying, "Wait… not of you and Jacob. I was jealous because Jacob seems to be able to do what Sam couldn't do or _wouldn't _do. You know, with the imprinting and all?"

Raven pretended to know what Leah was talking about. "Could you explain that to me a little more? I'm not so sure I understood it all that well. Jacob was giving me so much information all at once. It was confusing to say the least."

"Sure. I'll give you my account of imprinting_. Imprint, The World According to Leah._" She snickered.

Raven grinned.

"I think of it like this, it's something like an arranged marriage. Only it's arranged by a force more powerful than us. They say it's rare, but it's been happening more frequently than we ever would have guessed. Sue says we don't know everything yet, because there has never been this many wolves at once. So, we're still finding out new things, you know? Creating or adding new legends for our posterity."

"What if someone doesn't love the person that's arranged for them? What if they love someone else? I mean, I don't like the idea of not having any choice in the matter."

"Uh huh, I feel the same way, although I'm told that we will love the person that's arranged for us," Leah said remorsefully.

Sam's imprint story came to mind, and Raven knew Leah was thinking about him and Emily. "Sometimes we know who it's going to be before hand, only it's not yet time for the relationship. That's the way it is with Jacob and Rene...zoh, you okay Raven? Damn!"

* * *

Jacob took the phone, guarding his expression from Jared, unable to look him the eyes. "Who is it? What do you want?"

"Jacob, nice to…"

"I want my family back now!" He surged with rage, quivering as he struggled to control his temper.

"Yes, my boy. No need to delay. Let's get right to the solution."

Jacob's hand rigidly gripped the hotel telephone, and little fissures began to surface from the extreme pressure he was trying hard not to exert. He listened tensely, trembling while the demands for the return of Rachel, Kim, and Brady were being made.

"We'll think about it. I need to talk it over with my pack… twenty-four hours… tomorrow, late afternoon… here at the resort."

The bald man reached for the phone. Jacob smacked his hand away and slammed the phone down vigorously.

"W-what did he say? What d-did he want? Who was it?" Jared stammered frantically.

The man interrupted, "Did he say anything about my money?"

Jacob lost it, swatting the man across the room with one mighty blow. He bounced off the wall and fell to the floor, tearfully stunned.

Sam grabbed him by the shirt and picked him up, off the floor. "Your work here is done. If you ever set foot anywhere near our lands again, my friend Paul _will_ tear your heart out. You won't be able to hide from us." Sam snarled baring his teeth. "We can smell you."

The bald man grabbed his briefcase and his car keys and scurried out the door in horror, leaving everything else behind. Jacob picked up the hotel key and shoved it in his pocket, and Sam and Jared followed Jacob out the door. He gave the details of the conversation to all of them during the ride home.

"All he wants is for us to fly to Italy a week from Monday with some of his other bloodsucking friends and create some kind of distraction during some sort of celebration. He said we don't even have to fight. We could run if we want and that some of his more prestigious allies," Jacob held his fingers like quotation marks up by his temples, "will handle the rest. He told me that once we complete his request, we only need to return to the airport and we will all be flown home. When we're finally on the plane and are no longer a danger to him and his allies, the girls and Brady will be let go. He said they'll be home before our plane even lands. He also stipulated that we needed to take at least twenty wolves."

"You said twenty-four hours. You said we had to think about it. Of course we're going! What's there to think about?" Jared shouted, bitterly disappointed.

"Quiet, Jared! I need to concentrate." Jacob's head throbbed with frustration. "There's got to be a better way, a faster way."

"Jacob's right. Do we really want to rush into something we know nothing about? Those Italians will make some very deadly enemies. Do you really want to wait more than a whole week to get Kim back?" Sam glanced at Jared and then to Paul. "Do you, Paul? Worse yet, what happens if none of us even make it back from Italy?"

No one answered.

"Sorry, Jared. I only said twenty-four hours because he suggested we take a few days to think about it. I got the impression he wanted more time to give us more reasons to join them, to get his hands on more of our family to bargain with," Jacob explained.

Jared held his angry growl and nodded.

"Umm… Sam… um," Embry cut in quietly. "Quil said some of your guys heard Brady a few times today…"

As soon as they reached Sam's place, everyone but Jacob phased to hear about Brady.

_Finally, some good news,_ Jacob thought, sitting down on the porch to wait to talk to Sam alone.

When Sam returned, he explained to Jacob that Brady came around twice, both times feeling fuzzy and ill. He felt a mixture of fear and fury as he threw himself against some sort of cage, attempting to escape. Brady felt the injections again and faded back to silence. "This means he's close by. At least within a 300 mile radius, we know for sure." Sam sounded hopeful.

"Sam, I needed to talk to you away from the other guys," Jacob stated, ready to unburden himself. "I didn't let out everything I know. I'm having trouble facing Paul and Jared, and I don't even want to think about facing Billy, especially since I found out."

"Found out what?" Sam asked, intrigued.

"Since I found out that I'm responsible for all this," Jacob continued. "I recognized his voice immediately. He's a Romanian bloodsucker named Stefan. I heard Vladimir in the background, too. They participated in the conflict in hopes that the Volturi would be defeated and they could regain control of the vampire world. I guess since the Cullens didn't do it they decided to end the Volturi's reign themselves. That's what they want our help with. It turns out that an annual event is about to occur known as St. Marcus' Day. Apparently, they have this big blood-sucking feast. Stefan said that several of his and Vladimir's allies have already received invitations to the event. The plan is that a group of bloodsuckers with the same goal as the Romanian's will stand with us outside the city. Stefan just wants to create enough of a threat to draw the guard away from the masters, then Stefan and Vladimir's prestigious allies will attack the higher-ups from within. They feel that once they take out the masters, the guard will fall in line."

Sam appeared to be deep in thought.

"I've got to accept the blame for this one, Sam," Jacob hung his head.

"I thought that's what you meant at the resort," Sam replied sympathetically. "You take the responsibility for your own exposure, and I'll take it for exposing the rest of us."

Jacob was baffled. "What are you talking about?"

"I made the choice to stand with you that day, and I gave the order to the rest of the pack. For all the Romanians knew, the Cullens could have brought you, Leah, and Seth from clear over in Siberia. I revealed the pack in the clearing that day. I showed the Romanians what to look for. So chin up, Jacob, we need to put our heads together now and focus on how we're going to get our family back safely."

Jacob felt slightly relieved and full of hope. "Well, let's go tell our packs what we know and go from there."

Jacob and Sam bumped fists in a show of camaraderie and both phased leaping off the porch.

Immediately Quil, Embry, and Seth knew everything Jacob knew. _If we only knew where they were hiding them, we could just go get them right now, _Embry mentally stated.

_Maybe we could get a hold of Edward and the Cullens, _Seth suggested.

_No way,_ _Seth! _Jacob was disturbed by the idea of having to face Bella and Nessie and instantly wondered where that feeling even came from.

_We've got bigger things to worry about, Jake. If you don't want the Cullen's help just because of Raven, then…_Quil thought, attempting to chastise.

Jacob barked rowdily, cutting Quil off. _That's not it, _he quieted his mind momentarily._ That's a little bit of it. But the main thing is this: we need to keep all the vampires away from here or our tribal teens will continue to transform. Plus, I promised Sam. _

_After the conflict ended and the Cullens left, I promised him that I would never call vampires into the area again. We'll always regret the rampant murdering that we allowed outside the boundaries of Forks and La Push to protect Nessie. Even though it was necessary at the time, we made a pact that we would never let that happen again. Before the Cullens came back here, everything was fine. We didn't even know bloodsuckers existed. Now that they're gone we want to keep them gone. And if I have to leave…I mean, when I do leave to go with them, I'll go. I won't bring them back here. _

_Jacob, how much do the Romanians know about us?_ It was Sam. _Do they know how we think? _

_No. They don't know we can talk with our minds. _Jacob could clearly see where Sam was headed. _Now we're thinking. If we can get them to take one of us to Brady and the girls, we'll know exactly where they're hiding them. _

After listening to Jacob's thoughts, Seth eagerly volunteered. _I'll go,_ feeling responsible for Brady's capture. _It's the least I can do. _

_Jacob, we'll convince them that one of our own must witness that Brady and the girls are all safe and in good health before we agree, _Sam thought.

Jacob thought back, _if we can get the Romanians to agree, we'll be able to rescue them. If not, we'll have to prepare to stand with the bloodsuckers, whether we like it or not. _

Everyone agreed. _There's nothing to do now but wait. Stefan will contact me tomorrow._

_Okay, that's it for now. Everyone go home and protect your families,_ Sam commanded his pack. _T__ry to get some rest and we'll meet again, after Jacob talks with the Romanians._


	10. Chances Are

**Chapter 11**

_**Chances Are**_

The words Leah spoke pierced Raven like a thousand arrows in her back, puncturing her heart and her lungs. She sucked in all the air she could before her heart and lungs stalled. The sound faded away as if she was detached from the world, in some sort of transparent bubble without any oxygen.

Feeling panicked, she briefly doubled over trying to regain control of herself. She took deep breaths and summoned the world surrounding her body to return.

Leah abruptly quit talking and began apologizing. "I'm sorry, Raven. I didn't know. I thought Jacob had told you everything last night. I was sure I heard him thinking he was telling you everything."

Raven hung her head dimly, squeaking, "He tried to… but I didn't let him."

"Raven, I'm so…so… sorry I said anything at all. It wasn't my place. I think you really need to talk with Jacob about all of this." Leah frowned, dreadfully concerned.

Raven was on the verge of tears, dying inside from hurt, but also feeling a combination of embarrassment and stupidity. He told her he loved her and she'd believed him. _Why would he do that?_

_Knock, knock, knock,_ sounded at the door. Leah sniffed. "It's Jacob," she said.

Raven shot her a look that said, _please don't tell him I know._ She gathered herself together and answered the door, pretending nothing was wrong; however, the leftover tension was welling up.

Jacob trudged in, his appearance softer and more composed than the hard shroud of concern and concentration he was wearing when he'd brought Leah to the door. His eyes widened. "What's up?" He shifted his gaze from Raven to Leah then back to Raven. "Did I interrupt some highly classified girl talk or what?"

"Actually, I was telling Raven here how evil and awful you are," Leah sarcastically grumbled.

Raven's face felt hot, and she faked a laugh. "No, she wasn't. She was telling me how good and awesome you are," she fibbed, her voice sounding as if it was coming from someone else.

Jacob chuckled. "That'll be the day."

"You know it." Leah retorted, glaring. When Jacob turned his head, Leah and Raven shared twin expressions of relief.

Just as Leah had expected, Jacob was planning to get Raven and Abby out to La Push. "My brother is flying in tomorrow. Leah volunteered to go with me to pick him up."

"I should go too then. It's still way too dangerous."

Raven avoided his gaze.

"Unless… You don't want me to go with you?"

"No, it's fine. We figured you'd be coming." Raven forced a smile.

As Jacob updated them on all the day's events, Raven couldn't help but think about her discussion with Leah. It was becoming really hard for her to keep up appearances. She felt a painful stab of betrayal every time Jacob smiled at her so innocently. _Ugh,_ _I wish he'd stop looking at me like that! _She yanked her eyes away from him.

"Seth will be around the corner at Charlie's tonight. I could stay here and keep an eye on things if you guys want me to," Leah suggested.

"Since those weren't burglars, I would definitely feel better if you stayed with us tonight."

"Okay. I'll just have Sue bring me some things and Jacob you can bring my jeep tomorrow."

"Sounds good. I better get back to Billy now," he said, reaching for Raven's hand. "Come with me outside for a minute."

Raven walked with him outside, fighting the lump that was rapidly growing in her throat as her heart crumbled to pieces. "What's going on?" Jacob asked once they were out the door. His forehead was puckered with worry.

"Nothing, I'm fine," she replied, startled by the hoarseness of her voice. She nervously cleared her throat.

Jacob slanted his eyebrow, giving her a skeptical glare. "I don't want to say you're not telling me the truth, but… you're not telling me the truth."

She forced a tight-lipped smile, knowing that if she opened her mouth she wouldn't be able to hold her sob down anymore. She turned her head completely away from him, a tear or two forcing their way out of the corners of her eyes.

"Raven," he whispered, gently directing her chin back to him with his fingertips and brushing her tears away.

Her hand immediately grasped his fingers and she brought them away from her face. "I'm just dealing with a lot right now, Jacob. I'm fine, really. I just need some time."

He pursed his lips, examining her expression thoroughly. "Hey, I'm sorry for bringing you into to all this. I really am, Raven. I'm not going to let anything happen to you or your mom. I promise."

"I know. It's okay, Jacob. It's just been a really bad day for all of us. Tomorrow will be better. I'm sure of it." This time when she feigned a smile, she made certain it was nice and broad.

"You're probably right. It has been a really long and stressful day. I should go." He leaned over and gave her a long, soft kiss goodnight.

She couldn't help but let herself fall into his kiss, finding that it offered her an abundance of momentary alleviation. She came away from his lips beaming.

Jacob grinned. "I'll see you tomorrow." He gave her a quick peck on her sore nose and dashed across the street, disappearing into the dark shadowy forest.

At long last, Raven was able to be alone with her thoughts.

Accepting the reality that Jacob was arranged to be with someone else, someday, she lay on her bed and quietly sobbed, hoping that Leah couldn't hear her sniffles. By the time, she finally ran out of tears for the night, her insides felt bruised and weak. She curled up holding herself, heaving dry sobs until her entire body felt worn out.

When she was all cried out and too tired to hurt anymore, her insides fell numb and she began to ponder Jacob's every expression toward her, basking in his _"I do love you"_ sentiment over and over again. To those words, she added the wonderfully tender yet passion saturated kiss he graced her with before he left. Every fiber in her being told her that he was telling her the truth. Jacob loved her!

Before drifting off to the gray morning light, she came to a decision. She decided that whatever time she could have with him was better than no time with him. She wasn't going to punish herself or Jacob for something that was beyond either of their control.

* * *

The hidden sun gave the overcast clouds a silvery glow. Jacob was standing by the water tossing rocks into the gentle foaming waves. Raven felt peacefully happy watching him. He flashed Raven his perfect smile, the one that always caused her tummy to flutter.

"It's time!" he said excitedly. Raven could see the happiness shimmering from his eyes as he knelt beside her, taking her by the hand. "Raven, I love you, but I love Rene more…Okay?"

"Huh?" Raven shook herself.

"I said, are you okay?"

She and Jacob were sitting in the airport terminal while Leah roamed around the airport trying to keep herself from falling asleep. "Just tired I guess. I didn't get much sleep last night."

"Are you sure?" Jacob pulled his brows together in concentration, studying her mannerisms closely.

Raven glanced down and saw that she had unknowingly shifted herself as far away from him as the chair would allow, and she was leaning her shoulder in the complete opposite direction. She blushed, discomforted, and frantically scooted back toward him, winding her hand through his.

"So much has gone on these past couple days. I just want to tell you that I'm really glad we're able to be together," she urgently stated. She didn't want him to get the sense that anything serious was wrong between them. She _was _truly grateful to be with him.

"Me too," he agreed, smiling with his eyes as he leaned over to kiss her. There it was again, the familiar tumbling in her tummy that Jacob had a knack for causing. She huffed in defeat. It was clearly evident she was hopelessly in love with him, regardless of what that meant for her in the future.

"Flight 719 from Fayetteville, North Carolina is arriving on schedule," blared over the intercom.

Hearing the announcement of River's flight, Raven bounced with excitement, anxiously awaiting him.

"I was so lucky that he was already scheduled for leave. He said he just got back from somewhere overseas and really needed a break. My mom is going to be so happy to see him!"

Jacob pointed at a guy in a military uniform walking into the terminal. "Is that him right there?"

Raven glanced over and said, "No, he won't look like that. He's top secret."

Jacob's eyes widened in surprise. "What do you mean, like special forces or something?"

Raven nodded. "He's Delta Force, actually. But you can't tell him I told you because no one is supposed to know who he is. River said he'd look regular. I just hope I can recognize him. It's been so long. He has dark hair and dark eyes just like me."

Raven examined everyone that came off the plane and into the terminal. She spotted a very muscular guy in faded jeans with a regular white tee shirt on that somewhat resembled River, but he was too tall. This guy was probably about six-four or six-five. While River had always seemed tall to her, she didn't remember him being that tall. Additionally, this guy's hair seemed too long for the military. It was a little longer than Jacob's hair, although Jacob's hair really wasn't all that long either. No one else was getting off the plane and Raven was starting to worry. The guy got closer, glanced at her, and a smile spread across his face. Raven jumped up, rushed over to him, and threw herself into his arms, giving him the tightest hug she could muster as tears cascaded down her cheeks.

River had gotten so tall! _Lucky for him he takes after dad's side of the family_, Raven mused wiping her happy tears away.

She noted a concentrated air of dignity and self-confidence about him, and he was just as handsome as she could remember.

He set Raven down. "Wow! Let me take a look at you. I was half expecting to see the tiny little tomboy with a great big head, and you know what? Here she is," River teased.

"And you look like an old man," Raven teased back. "Just kidding… You look good for an old man."

"Hey, I'm not that old!" River laughed.

"How old are you now? Twenty-six?"

"Just about." River nodded. "Getting up there, I guess."

"Come on, I want you to meet Jacob," Raven said, excitedly pulling River by the arm. She had already told him all about Jacob over the phone.

When they approached him, Jacob stood up. River stopped, slightly taken aback. "Damn, Jacob, Raven never told me she was dating the Incredible Hulk."

Jacob cracked a smile. "Hey what's up?" he greeted, extending his hand.

River shook his hand forcefully. "Are you sure you're only seventeen?" he asked with joking suspicion.

"Actually it's more like eighteen in a couple weeks," Jacob answered cheerfully.

"We're going to get River's duffle bag. We'll be right back."

"Okay, I'll go find Leah and we'll meet you at the entrance way," Jacob replied, casually strolling away.

"Jacob seems like a decent guy," River remarked as they waited at the baggage claim. "So, how's mom doing? How's she taking things?"

"I think she's doing fine. I heard her crying a little yesterday, but she was going over bills. She's worried about whether or not we'll make it on her income alone. I'll get a job, too, though."

River scowled, upset. "Money worries are what got her with that idiot loser in the first place."

"She won't take him back. I heard her say so on the phone. She filed a restraining order and is already seeing a lawyer on Tuesday. Besides, she told me after all these years she deserves to be happy."

River sighed, relieved. "She does. We all do."

"She's going to be so happy to see you, River. I can hardly wait." Raven grinned, contemplating the look on Abby's face.

Leah was facing Jacob when Raven and River came up behind her. "Leah, this is my big brother River," Raven introduced.

Leah spun around nonchalantly, gazing down at River's extended hand. "My pleasure," River said.

"Nice to meet you, too." Leah lifted her eyes upward while taking River's hand. Her legs buckled and she wobbled backward in a glazy-eyed stupor.

River clutched her by the arm. "Whoa! Are you all right, Miss?" he inquired, as he steadied her on her feet.

Raven tossed a worried glance at Jacob. His jaw was hanging open; however, judging by the engrossed glint in Jacob's eyes and curious grin on his lips, it was easy to see he was enjoying the scene enormously.

"I so… know what's going on right now," he mumbled under his breath.


	11. Calm before the Storm

**Chapter 12**

_**Calm before the Storm**_

"Hi, Mom, I'm home!" River called, striding into the house and up the stairs like it was an everyday occurrence.

There were no words to describe the expression on Abby's face when she saw him. She was utterly speechless. River picked Abby up and squeezed her tight while rivulets of joy sprung from her eyes.

She was overjoyed. Immediately wanting to mark the occasion as special, she decided to cook a big welcome home dinner for River. "We're celebrating this evening. You two should stay," She said to Leah and Jacob when Raven called them inside.

"We have to be somewhere right now, but we'll come back later," Jacob politely explained. He tilted his head toward the door, gesturing for Raven to follow him. "Embry and Quil will be across the street watching, but I need to take Leah with me. We'll be back as soon as we can."

He kissed her quickly, grazing her jawline with his fingertips as he walked away. Raven's heart bounced elatedly. She thought it odd that Jacob peered over his shoulder and smiled at the very same time. She blushed as she smiled back at him and waved.

When he crossed the driveway, it occurred to her that her troubles scarcely invaded her mind while she was in his presence. She was pleased by how easily she got through the day without letting him know what was eating at her.

Immediately, after he drove out of sight though, her reservations returned. She felt torn with part of her wanting to forget what she knew and try to be happy for the time being, and the other part of her wanting to confront Jacob to find out where or how she fit in to his life. She concluded the latter thought was a terrible idea because she was afraid of what his answer might be.

Kristy came over a while later to meet River. She sat at the kitchen table while Raven diced tomatoes, onions, and a jalapeno for the salsa. Kristy rested on her elbow with her chin in the palm of her hand, gazing across the room to where River and Abby sat talking. "Gosh, Raven, he's amazing!" She quietly exclaimed. She couldn't take her eyes off of him. "It's hard to believe he's your brother."

"What?" Raven huffed with a laugh, lightly pushing Kristy's shoulder. "What's that supposed to …I can't believe you just said that."

Kristy grinned. "I just meant because he's so tall. How come you never mentioned him to me before?"

"I guess the subject just never came up. Besides, he's way older than me, _and you_, for that matter. He's almost twenty-six."

"He doesn't look it. He's… really, really, good looking! And what a bod." Kristy gawked.

"Okay, that's enough." Raven giggled, placing her hand on Kristy's cheek and directing her eyes away from River. "Remember you're too young for him."

Kristy rolled her eyes. When Abby came back into the kitchen to check on her cooking, Kristy hopped up, swayed over to River, and began asking him all kinds of questions. River politely conversed with her, but anyone could see he wasn't picking up on the signals she was putting out there.

* * *

_Leah's not going and that's all there is to it, _Sam decreed. _I know you can see how dangerous this will be for her, Jacob, especially if she's focused on some guy._

_Sam doesn't want you to go Leah. He thinks you won't be able to concentrate because of the imprinting. He might have a point._

_That's a load of bull, Jacob, and you know it!_ Leah growled. Y_ou can tell Sam to bite me. _

Jacob's belly rumbled, and he let out a few low woofs at Leah's snide response. _I'm not telling him that. He's worried about you, that's all._

_If this were one of the other wolves, no one would have a problem. You know how many times I've had to put up with everyone else's freakin' imprinting. I know I can control my thoughts a hell of a lot better than anyone else around here can. What does he care? He can't even hear me._

_Sam feels that your head won't exactly be where it needs to be to keep yourself from getting hurt. Admit it, at this very moment all you can think about is how you're going tell River about us and what his reaction will be. _

_That's not fair, Jacob. And don't I have the right? Besides, if Seth goes, I go_.

_I'll tell you what, Leah. I'll give you until we leave tomorrow. If you haven't gotten control of your imprint concerns, then you'll have to stay behind. Remember what happened the last time?_

_Throw that in my face, why don't you!_

_I'm not… I'm just saying. Do we have a deal?_

_I guess so, but if Sam asks anything else about me, tell him to mind his own freakin' business. I'm not his problem anymore._

* * *

The smell of charcoal grilled steak permeated the air around Raven's house causing Jacob's mouth to water and his stomach to growl as soon as he hopped off Leah's jeep. It was the next best aroma, compared to Raven's. He caught her fragrance coming from the backyard and followed it to the rear of the house. Raven was standing on the deck tending to the meat. Her eyes sparkled brightly at the sight of him. He smiled inside, eased that whatever had been bothering her the previous night seemed to have vanished. "We would have gotten back sooner, but someone needed to freshen up and unsuccessfully attempt to beautify herself," he gibed, flicking a disgruntled glance at Leah.

"Jerk," she snapped. "Raven is there anything I can to do to help?"

"No, everything's ready inside. Go ahead you guys. I'll be right behind you." Leah and Seth walked inside while Jacob grabbed the plate of meat from Raven's hand. She piled the last couple slabs onto it. "What's wrong with Leah? She looks upset," Raven asked.

"The Romanians agreed to let Seth see Rachel, Kim, and Brady as a show of faith. She's worried right now, but I know that being here with …" Jacob caught himself, "just being here will make her feel better. She'll tell you later."

He and Raven walked inside. Leah was helping Abby set the table in the dining room. He spotted Kristy sitting beside River in the living room, making googly eyes at him. Jacob tilted his head in their direction. "What's going on over there?"

"Oh, I think she's trying to hit on him or something." They both looked over again and quietly laughed. "I told her he was too old for her but…" Raven shrugged.

"Let's see if Leah has anything to say about it." Jacob sneered devilishly as they spied Leah enter the living room and River turn his attention to her.

"Why? What's that look about?" Raven inquired. "You look like the cat hiding Stuart Little in his mouth."

Jacob smirked happily. "Never mind, Leah will tell you about it later."

"She better!"

By the time dinner was over, Kristy caught the hint that River wasn't responding to her interest in him. She finally gave up and sat down beside Raven, Jacob and Seth. "Oh, well, you're right. I'm too young for him, but it was definitely worth a try."

"Don't worry about it, Kristy. Embry's right across the street," Jacob taunted.

"Oooo, goody, goody," she mocked, clapping her hands and getting to her feet. She narrowed her eyes in scorn at him and stormed into the other room.

Jacob and Seth cracked up. "Behave you guys," Raven scolded, trying to hold back her smile. "You should have reminded me they were out there. I bet they're starving. Go tell them to come eat."

"Sure, but they won't be wearing any shirts," _I hope they have moccasins with them._ The guys had come to find that it was easy to strap on thin leather footwear during the few times they were able to prepare themselves ahead of a patrol.

Kristy's attitude lifted as soon as Embry walked in the door. _It was probably the no shirt thing._ Everyone was chatting and joking, and all seemed fine for a spell. Kristy must have liked Embry more than she let on because they scooted off to a corner by themselves and not much more time passed before they were saying goodbye to everyone and leaving together.

"See that? I know about these things," Jacob gloated.

"Oh, shut up!" Raven giggled, shaking her head at him.

Eventually, everyone else left, except for him and Leah. "Leah and River are really hitting it off," Raven brought up.

Jacob nodded. "It's a good thing, too."

Raven narrowed her eyes questioningly.

The next thing Jacob knew, River was announcing that he was feeling a little wired and needed to get out and unwind. _Way to go Leah._

"Leah's going to take me to the bar & grill here in town, but I'll be back soon."

_We'll see,_ Jacob thought as they walked out the door.

* * *

It was a beautiful evening, one of the rare times when it would be clear enough to see the stars after sunset. The breeze held a crisp coldness, but it was hardly noticeable when Raven was in Jacob's arms.

Raven thought about how they never had company over before because Mike was always so rude and unfriendly. As it was, she could barely believe that she and Jacob were together at her home with no one to fear. They sat outside on the deck in the backyard looking up at the sky and talking. "I love it when the sky looks like that, a red moon," Raven observed. "It looks so pretty that color. Too bad it doesn't stay that way long."

"I think that happens because the moon is so close to the earth that the particles from all the filthy pollution turn it red," Jacob explained.

"Way to ruin it, dufus!"

Jacob laughed. "That's what I heard."

"It's pretty anyway." Raven sighed.

"Seriously, though, my mom used to say that a red moon was a cosmic sign of divine awareness." Jacob gazed at the moon, his expression softening as he reminisced. "I can't remember how she exactly put it. But, she said that if you concentrate or meditate on something of extreme importance to you under the energy of a red moon, you would have some kind of an awakening. Receive clarity on your life's path, divine inspiration or intervention. It was like a promise that you would receive the answer to…something like that. "

"That's neat. Does it actually work?"

"I don't know. I never tried it. We'll just have to take my mom's word for it. She took her spirituality very seriously."

"I hope it works because I've really got to do some meditating."

"Oh, yeah, on what?"

Raven tugged at her ear, realizing that if she was going to say something about Jacob's imprint that this was her moment to do it. "Can't talk about it right now, maybe someday though." She frowned.

Jacob brought her hand away from her ear, and his expression sobered. "Well, can you talk to me about what happened to you the other night?" he asked, his eyes drifting to the day-old darkening of her bruised nose and blue shadowed under eye tissue.

She elusively replayed the incident to him, feeling it unnecessary to go into details. His remorse over the episode was already clearly evident every time his eyes swept over her face. "I don't know how in hell I let you go back there." He grimaced, second-guessing himself as he kissed her on the nose. "I should have walked you to the door and scared the holy hell out of him."

"In hindsight I think it was the best thing that could have happened for all of us because it finally made Abby stand up to him," Raven reassured, noting that had it not happened the way it did, she wouldn't be with Jacob at that very moment and River wouldn't be home either.

Jacob shared the conversation between himself and the Romanians with her. "They said that Seth had to show up alone. They'll know if anyone attempts to follow. They'll allow him one phone call to let us know that everyone is fine. The down side is Seth will have to stay there until we return from Italy. Stefan told me someone would meet Seth in the same clearing that Brady was taken from tomorrow, late afternoon, and Seth will contact us about twenty-four hours later. Sam feels that Brady is closer than the Romanians want us to believe. We'll already know where Brady and the girls are by the time Seth makes the phone call. The beauty of being linked the way we are."

"It all seems so unreal," Raven muttered, feeling a chill.

Jacob folded his arms around her securely. "Let's change the subject. I can tell that it scares you."

"I'm sure River likes Leah. He called her a beauty after you left today," Raven confided.

"Leah's pretty cool… after all," he said as if he'd just realized it, "she'll have roughly twenty-four hours to get her head together."

"What are you talking about already?" Raven demanded. " First, you were making me impatient and curious. Now, you're just making me mad."

"Sorry." Jacob chuckled. "I shouldn't tell you because it's Leah's story to tell, but since it involves your brother, I will. Remember the imprinting I was telling you about?"

Raven flinched, instantly certain Jacob saw it. She quickly recovered herself and comprehended what he was getting at. "Leah and River," she whispered in disbelief. "Does he know?"

"He won't know until she tells him. I bet she'll try to do that tonight. Sam doesn't think that I should let Leah come with us tomorrow. He thinks her head is too full of your brother right now. Leah's really worried about Seth, though, and insists that she be there to keep him safe. I won't make her stay behind unless it is absolutely necessary for her own safety. Besides, Seth can take of himself… can't say that to her, though. Anyway, she has roughly twenty-four hours."

"It really does scare me. If I was Leah, I'd stay home if I had the chance," Raven admitted.

The moon lifted from its pretty color as the darkness fell around them. Jacob squeezed Raven tighter, pressing his hot cheek against her face. She turned and met his eyes, and could feel the heat radiating from his lips as he gently pressed them into hers. She couldn't help herself. She maneuvered toward him, pressuring him flat to his back with her body, and returned his urgently zealous kiss. Her body was reacting to him with a mind of its own and his response was equally excited.

She was overwhelmed with passion. Until a tiny thought invaded her mind, she felt ashamed for allowing herself to be as weak as she was where he was concerned, particularly knowing all that she knew. Suddenly, she wondered why he would even allow himself to continue knowing what he knew.

His hot skin burned through his clothes causing her body to begin to perspire as he traced her teeth with his tongue. She felt hands moving up her back to the nape of her neck and into her hair, holding her firmly. Immersed in his kiss, she shifted more fittingly against him letting every thought aside from his obvious reaction to her body's movement, fly completely out the window. All of a sudden, Jacob jerked himself upright into a sitting position, knocking Raven off him. She bumped her head on the wooden floor and sat up quickly, rubbing her head in confusion.

"Raven, make sure you lock everything up before you go to bed tonight. I don't think I can stay awake much longer," Abby said.

She glanced over her shoulder to find the door swinging open and her mom poking her head out. "I will, Mom." Raven tugged at her ear, beet red as she gave Jacob a grin of relief.

"I knew I heard something. Sorry about that," Jacob whispered, smiling adorably.

Raven put her arms back around him, catching her breath. She softly kissed his neck and felt him shiver. She wondered how she'd ever get along without him. "Jacob, what's…?" She stopped short, halting the words that were on the tip of her tongue. _Going on with us?_

"What's what?"

"Never mind… I forgot what I was about to say," she mumbled.

"Are you sure?"

"Mm hm."

"All right then. I should go now. I don't want to wear out my welcome with your mom after only one evening."


	12. River's Edge

**Chapter 13**

**_River's Edge_**

Raven answered the door yawning groggily. "Jacob, what time is it?" She squinted because of the light, and rubbed her sleepy eyes.

Jacob lifted her up heartily, planting a tiny kiss on her slightly reddish-blue tinged nose. If he had it to do all over again, he would never have allowed her to go back inside with that nut job of a dad of hers. He would hate to see what he'd do to him if they ever crossed paths. "Nine o'clock. I'm here to see River."

"River?" Raven repeated. "About what?"

"I'm not sure," Jacob answered, shrugging his shoulders. "I was wondering the same thing."

"Come in. I'll go wake him up. He's probably sleeping in the empty room downstairs," Raven uttered, more awake and alert. "Nine o'clock, I'm late for school!"

"Calm down. It's not going anywhere, and he's not home yet."

"What are you talking about?"

"He spent the night at Leah's," Jacob replied nonchalantly. "They're on their way. They should be here any minute. All I've got to say is that was some fast work."

"Fast wor… What's that supposed to mean?" Raven scowled in offense. "What was fast work?"

"I was talking about Leah. Not River. I'm just saying that was ff…never mind," Jacob spluttered, wishing he'd never made the remark.

The door swayed open, and River and Leah casually traipsed in all comfy and cozy as if they'd known each other forever. They hunkered down on the sofa at the exact same time, so close together it looked like they were joined at the hip. Jacob and Raven sat down across from them.

It was obvious to Jacob that Leah had accomplished what she set out to do very effectively, considering the time frame she had to work with. He was impressed. He cast a sideways glance at Raven. Her eyes were wide, and she was riveted by them.

"So, River, what's up?" Jacob burst out, breaking the silence. "Is this about being Delta Force?"

"Jacob!" Raven shrieked, punching him on the leg.

"Don't worry about it, Raven, I told Leah last night. Hmm, I never did that before. That was weird," River observed. "I guess it doesn't matter. I'm at the end of my enlistment period. I wasn't planning on reenlisting for another four years, anyway, especially not now."

Leah, actually, blushed like any regular embarrassed-type girl. Jacob had to smirk.

"Leah told me the situation. It sounds pretty serious. I know that since were dealing with the supernatural, there's probably not a whole heck of a lot I could do to help, but I can't sit by and do nothing."

"Do you have something in mind that might be able to help us?" Jacob asked.

"I was just wondering what the plan was going to be once you arrived at the site where your families are being held?"

"Well, I guess we were basically just planning on matching up with the parasites and ripping every single reeking one of them apart."

"Then that's where I think I might be able to help. That is, if you don't mind."

"Actually, we could use all the help we can get, as long as it doesn't put anyone in danger."

Jacob listened carefully and with deep alertness while River shared the fact that he'd participated in rescue missions and could provide some assistance with knowledge of what must be considered to insure the mission is successful.

"The challenge is to have the least amount of friendly casualties or hostage casualties as possible with the ultimate goal of no friendly or hostage casualties at all," River counseled. "Leah's sure that your packs can handle the battle part of the operation, but what about the hostages?"

Leah added, "We'll have the element of surprise going for us for a little while, Jake, because they're not expecting us. As soon as we're near enough though, they're going to smell us coming and that'll put the girls, Brady, and Seth in way too much danger."

"You're right. It's not like they're going to let us waltz right in there and take them out of harms way. We're going to have to start eliminating the vampires just to get to 'em. I'm sure we're gonna have our hands full with that. How are we going to protect 'em at the same time?" Jacob wondered out loud, his mind drawing blanks.

He couldn't come up with a single idea of how to protect them during the attack. He realized that with Bella's situation the vampires didn't already have her, so all they had to do to keep her safe was to make sure the vampires never got to her. This situation was totally different because they already had Rachel, Kim, and Brady, and they could kill or turn them at anytime.

"I didn't realize how unprepared we were," Jacob granted. "We need to come up with something fast, before Seth leaves. Do you have any ideas that will help?"

"Sure. I could tell you what you need to know to develop a successful plan," River assured. "For starters, what do you have planned so far?"

Jacob explained to River that the packs were sending Seth to observe the path to the location where Brady and the girls were being held. "I convinced Stefan that all we want is our family back. We had no problems with seeing that the Volturi is overthrown, especially after what they attempted to do here against the Cullens. I told him he should have came to us and asked for our help first, that we would have been more than willing to help. Since they went about it the way they did, we didn't trust them.

"As a show of faith, Seth will be treated as a friend as long as he doesn't give them any trouble. The Romanians want to prove to us that they mean us no harm and just want our help. They assured me that they want to keep our alliance with them peaceable since we'll be working together.

"They're keeping Brady drugged for some reason, but they don't know that we know. They also promised me that Seth's phone call back to us wouldn't be made under duress. So if they're planning on drugging him, too, they won't do it until after he makes the phone call which will be twenty-four hours after he leaves."

"Excuse me, Jacob," River interrupted. "Why the twenty-four hours?"

"We're not a hundred percent sure, but we think it's because they want us to believe that it takes twenty-four hours to get to where they're going. Since we could still hear Brady, we have good reason to believe that Seth will be there long before they let him make the call."

"That's good, continue."

"We made sure that Seth would be traveling in wolf form. Being that he's going voluntarily, they didn't have a problem. Their only request was that no one tries to follow him. At this point, as long as we don't follow, they have no reason to doubt our willingness to help them." The more Jacob thought about the situation, the more he felt that Sam should be involved in the discussion he was having with River. "Leah, I think we need to involve Sam and some of the other guys in this."

Leah frowned. "Can't we listen first, and then pass the information on to them?"

River shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me, but I've already recognized that you guys have an excellent starting point based on what you've told me so far,"

"We'll see how it goes, Leah, but if I still think I need Sam to be here, I'm calling him. Go ahead, River."

"First, you need to do some reconnaissance, thorough investigating prior to attempting the rescue," River explained. "This investigation will give you a number of important pieces of information that'll be necessary to devise the plan, one of them being numbers. You'll need to know, as precisely as possible, how many enemies that you will be dealing with.

"Another important aspect is the location. You'll need to scout it well, and the facility that the captives are being held in. Survey each hostage location, identifying entrance points and an escape routes. Also, you'll want to know everything about any and all guards that might be surrounding the hostages."

Jacob paid close attention while River talked about diverting all the action as far away from the captives as possible for their safety. He said that it would be necessary to get the attention away from them, as well, for however momentarily that might be.

"This will allow the rescuers to enter the holding sites with the least amount of resistance, and remove the captives as quickly and as safely as can be managed. When you have all the intelligence needed, you'll be ready to plan the rescue. The excellent starting point I mentioned earlier is Seth, and the twenty-four hours. You use Seth for all of the reconnaissance. Once he gives you all the necessary Intel, you'll be ready to devise the plan."

It was apparent to Jacob that River knew how dangerous this was going to be, and just talking to him brought new challenges to Jacob's mind. Like, what would they do if they were dealing with way too many vampires?

"This changes everything. I guess this is going to be a bigger job for Seth than we thought. Maybe Seth won't be the one to go. I need to talk to Sam. We were all so anxious to get them back none of us were thinking clearly enough."

"One more thing, Jacob. Once you have the plan, there are three crucial elements necessary to insure its success: surprise, speed, and an alliance of action. I mean that everything must be coordinated perfectly." River was extremely serious. "Leah says you have the surprise and the speed. Just make sure everyone is precisely where they need to be, doing exactly what they need to do, at the very moment they need to do it, to get your family and themselves out safely."

"Well, River, you gave me a lot to consider. I really appreciate the help." Jacob thanked him then turning to Leah said, "It's time to get together with the guys and figure some things out. We don't have much time."

"Okay, I'll meet you outside in a few minutes."

Raven sat down beside Jacob on the front porch, and he realized she was trembling very subtly. He curled his arm around her waist. "I wish you didn't hear all that. I'm sure it sounds more dangerous than it is."

"Don't worry about it. I would have left the room if I really needed to."

"By the way, you're brother's pretty cool," Jacob said appreciatively. "That information is good to know. I'm sure it's gonna to make a world of difference."

"I hope so."

Jacob glanced back at the door, already running out of patience. "Leah better hurry up," he muttered.

"You weren't exaggerating. That was fast!" Raven exclaimed, referring to River and Leah. "Did you see the way Leah was looking at him? It had me wondering what River was thinking while he stared back at her. You'd never guess they just met. It's really weird."

Jacob nodded. "Yup. It sure is," he agreed, sweeping her hair out of her eyes.

"I'm already so late for school. I may as well just skip it. Besides, River will only be here for a few more days."

Jacob wasn't paying attention. His mind moved to another part of the plan that had him feeling disturbed. This part of the plan required him to contact the Cullens. He was sure that once he heard Nessie's voice again his imprint would be reinforced. His loneliness for Nessie would rage, and he didn't know how much longer he'd want to stick around Raven after that.

_I don't ever want to pull a Cullen and just disappear. _

He pursed his lips. During the past couple of days, he learned that he really did love Raven and would never be ready to cause her any kind of pain, but he was conscious that for him, leaving was inevitable. Not only that, Jake really did miss Nessie and Bella, and was certain that if they asked him to come for a visit, there would be no stopping him.

He studied Raven. She was tying her long hair up loosely on her head, just like she wore it the first time he kissed her. She wasn't one of those girls that had to be all fixed up with a bunch of make-up to look good. She wore some, but to him she didn't need to. Her allure was pure and natural. He, all of a sudden, recognized her dark eyes seemed a little dimmer, not quite as full of life as they normally were. Nevertheless, she was still astonishingly beautiful.

_This really sucks!_

"What are you thinking about?" Raven wondered, gazing at him intimately.

Her beautifully framed, dark eyes drank him in, completely filling themselves. Her cheeks had that natural slightly flushed hue that made you think she was close to blushing, and her perfect pink lips were enticingly gathered together, the corners lifted contently. He could see exactly how she felt about him every time she was wearing that look. It was the look that he was never able to resist. He pressed his forehead against her forehead and drowned himself in her eyes.

"I really do love you," he breathed.

Raven cast her eyes downward briefly. She smiled a smile that he saw only once or twice before. It was a smile that hinted at a frown, a somewhat sad smile. Everything about her presence became quiet for a second. Then she lifted her eyes, and kissed him lightly on his lips.

"I was thinking that after I talk to Sam, I'm going to Charlie's to pick-up a phone number. I need to make an important phone call. Will you come with me?"


	13. Kiss Me Goodbye

**Chapter 14**

**_Kiss Me Goodbye_**

_I can handle it, Jacob, _Seth whined, scuffing his paw on the ground and pacing in a circle.

_I don't know, Seth, it's going to take some sharp thinking. A lot of information has to be gathered and shared in a short amount of time. It's going to take some craftiness to do that. If the answer isn't plain to see, it's going to take some imagination to find it. We only have this one shot, and if we don't get it right we'll all be facing death because as far as I can see all other roads lead to Italy. I'm thinking about going myself. _Jacob revealed.

_Someone likes to toot his own horn, _Leah barked.

Jacob rumbled, _don't get wise_, snapping at her.

_Come on, Leah,_ _back me up here. You know I can handle it._ _I'm a fast thinker and convincing, _Seth yapped frantically. _I accomplish anything I put my mind to. Remember, Dad always said I had a gift for thinking outside the box. Plus, I notice things that most people would never see. _

Leah scrutinized Seth's argument. _It's true, Jacob, he is extremely perceptive. I'm sure he could spot anything we need him to. He also has a niche for staying calm, and that'll keep him thinking clearly_. Leah licked Seth's ear showing her support._ I may not like it, but I say let him go._

_Quil and Embry are okay with me going. Aren't you, guys? _

Quil and Embry barked their approval.

_What do you say, Jacob? _Seth whined in a begging manner.

_All right, you convinced me, _Jacob howled. _N__ow let's see if we can convince Sam. _

Jacob passed on all the information that River gave him to Sam before the meeting so that Sam would have time to share it with his pack. They all met with Sam and the rest of the wolves in the trees beside Sam's house.

_Maybe it's best if someone from my pack goes. That way more of us can see what we need to know, _Sam suggested.

_Seth won't take no for an answer. He's pretty tough and has a sharp head on his shoulders. He's seen my conversation with River, so he knows exactly what to look for. I'm sure he'll do an awesome job, _Jacob thought convincingly. _Leah knows him better than any of us. She's sure he's the right one to send. _

_If you're sure about Seth, then I trust your judgment. Just make sure that you give me good descriptions of what Seth knows so that I could pass it on accurately, _Sam reminded him.

_Sam, we also have to consider the fact that we may be far too outnumbered to even attempt a rescue, and if that's the case then we'll just have to go to Italy. _

_That thought occurred to me, too, but we'll cross that bridge if it comes. Just try to think positive, Jacob. We'll meet up with you, Leah, Quil, and Embry as soon as Seth gives us the call to let us know that he's leaving, and we'll plan it as it comes._

Sam suggested that everyone go home, sleep if necessary, and spend the rest of the time with their families.

_Jacob, walk with me to my house._

_You guys go on without me, I'll catch up…Sam wants to talk._

Leah whipped around, snarling angrily at Sam.

_Calm down, Leah! I'm sure he doesn't want talk about you. _Jacob woofed, and trotted away with Sam.

_Tell me about her, Jacob._

_She's ready. Her main concern was telling River and wondering if he could accept it all, and somehow those problems are completely gone. _Jacob paused, contemplating the quickness of River's acceptance. _It must have been meant to be._

Sam yelped loudly in Jacob's ear. He jumped away from Sam startled. _Jeez, Sam, sorry! Anyway, from listening to her today, I know that she can focus now._

* * *

Charlie was delighted when Jacob asked for Bella's number. He explained that he was beginning to run out of excuses for Jacob not calling her yet.

"Here, use my phone, it's no problem. I know that Bells will be so glad to hear from you." Charlie left the kitchen, telling Jacob that he would give him some privacy.

Raven was about to follow Charlie's lead. Jacob clutched her hand and coaxed her back into the kitchen. "You don't have to leave. Stay with me."

She nodded her head. "Sure?"

"Yup." He smiled wiry. He wrapped an arm around her and held her against him, while he apprehensively waited for someone on the other end of the line to pick-up.

He was relieved when Carlisle answered the phone. "Just the man, I wanted to speak with," Jacob greeted.

Carlisle listened attentively while Jacob explained everything to him. "I feel awful about all this, Jacob."

"You shouldn't. We're all as much to blame. To tell you the truth, I don't think we'd do anything much different given the chance."

"Nonetheless, on behalf of my entire family, I want to apologize. What can we do to help?"

Carlisle sounded extremely concerned as he agreed to deliver the message to the Volturi of the Romanian's intentions. "Are you sure there is nothing more we could do for you, Jacob?"

"We have it covered. I'm sure we could handle it by ourselves. Besides, I don't want to place any members of your family back in danger. Too much of that has already gone around," Jacob said sincerely. "Just make sure that we have time to get our family to safety before anyone from the Volturi calls upon the Romanians. Sue will contact Bella when we're ready for them to know."

"Do you want to talk to Renesmee now?" Carlisle asked.

"Sure put Nessie on." Jacob relaxed his hold on Raven, turned his head away from her, and stared out the window feeling significantly stressed. _This is going to be harder than I thought_.

"Jacob! You called!" Nessie bellowed. "Mom and I really miss you."

By the sound of her voice, it was apparent that she'd grown so much since the last time he'd seen her. "I miss you, too, kid. Tell me everything you've been doing over there."

He continued to face the window, wondering if Raven could detect his apprehension as he listened to Nessie gush over her new friend Nahuel, the half vampire-half human that Carlisle was studying. She told Jacob all about the hunts that he took her on, and marveled about what a good baseball player he was. "He's a great hunter. He's super fast, too. I think he's stronger than Uncle Emmett, even," Nessie bragged. "He's really fun. You'd like him, Jacob."

"Is he more fun than me?"

"Um, it's a tie." She giggled.

Jacob grinned, brimming with peace and contentment from knowing that Nessie was happy and having a fantastic time. He honestly missed her. When it seemed that she was all out of stories to tell him, he assured her that he would call again soon then he asked to speak with Bella.

After Bella gave him a lengthy ear beating about not calling sooner, she updated him on all the affairs of the _entire_ family. Jacob yawned. "Carlisle has learned so much about Renesmee from studying Nahuel. He's great, fits right in with the family and everyone seems to get along very well with his family."

"Good, I'm glad to hear everything's going good for you guys. I could tell by the way Nessie sounded that she's having a ball. By the way, what's it like where you're at?" Jacob asked curiously.

"It's beautiful and the hunting's great. Why do you ask?"

"No reason in particular, just wondering I guess."

Bella's voice lowered with concern. "I know how you like to worry, Jacob, but there's no need. Renesmee is perfect. Trust me, she's well taken care of and is growing healthy, and she's very happy."

Then Bella began to press for answers about Jacob and Carlisle's discussion, and Jacob knew it was time to end the conversation with her. "Carlisle will explain everything. Now it's my turn to tell you, there's no need for _you_ to worry. I miss you guys, and I promise to call more often from now on."

"You better. You had Nessie thinking you didn't care about her anymore."

Jacob winced. "Ouch! Way to make a guy feel guilty for something that's your fault. Typical Bella."

Bella laughed softly. "You're right, that was hitting below the belt. I'll make sure she knows how much you care about her. You just make sure you call."

"Agreed, talk to you soon and tell Eddy I said hi. Oh, make sure you hassle Blondie for me, put some purple dye in her shampoo or something." Jacob hung up the phone and stood motionless for an instant.

_Here goes everything, again._

He took a deep breath then slowly turned toward Raven, intentionally delving deep into her eyes and waiting to feel the fallout. The adoring glimmer reflected back - the one that manifested the intense feelings she had for him, and encapsulated his desire for her.

"Huh, nothing's changed," he thought out loud, running his fingers through his hair in bewilderment. "I still want to."

"Still want to what?" Raven questioned, raising her eyebrow without a clue as to what he was talking about.

He impulsively wound himself around her, letting his confused tension dissolve completely in the swirling lusciousness of her kiss, feeling grateful he continued to want to be with her. It slipped his mind that they were standing in Charlie's kitchen until he heard Charlie entering the room. "Hey, Charlie, we're just leaving and, ah, thanks for the phone call."

"Sure. Anytime." Charlie chuckled. "I think."

Jacob glanced at Raven. Her cheeks were crimson. She looked pretty pissed.

"What? What'd I do?" he shrugged innocently, stifling his laughter as they walked out the door.

"Oh, shut up." She smiled, whacking him on the arm.

Abby was cooking when Raven and Jacob returned. River and Leah were sitting in the living room getting to know more about each other.

"Are you hungry Jacob?" Raven asked him.

"Not really. I'll eat, though, since your mom's going through all the trouble."

"I promised Kristy I would go to the mall with her today, but I'm not in a shopping mood. I may as well call and tell her I can't. I haven't been able to spend any time with River yet," Raven stated indifferently.

"Well, you better be ready to fight Leah for him," Jacob joked. "Anyhow, we'll be leaving in a few hours and I was hoping I could hang out with you until then, if that's okay? Besides, Billy was practically kicking me out the door this morning. It's helping him to think that we're already on our way to get Rachel."

Raven's smile wilted and her shoulders drooped. Jacob leaned back surprised at her reaction to his question. "Did I say something wrong?"

"I'm sorry, Jacob. Go to the mall. What was I thinking? I was trying to pretend this day was normal. I do that sometimes, pretend nothing's wrong. It helps me get by. I probably got that from Mom."

Her heart began to thump loudly. Jacob reached for her. She was trembling and her eyes welled with tears. "I'm scared, Jacob. I don't want to think about it."

"Shh…Raven," he whispered, his mind racing with ways to comfort her.

She pressed her fingers against her temples and closed her eyes. Based on the panic and fear that he sensed emanating from her, he was certain she was about to lose it. Jacob took her hands away from her head and brought them down to her sides. He put his arm around her to calm her.

"I didn't mean to make you cry," he whispered, wondering how they would explain Raven's behavior to Abby, should she walk in at any moment.

"Everything's going to be just fine. I promise, especially now with River's help. It's going to be way easier than we first thought. Remember, we've done all this before, no problem. It's what we exist for."

"I c-can't, Jacob," she stammered.

Jacob glanced at River and Leah as they sat together across the room. With the expression on River's face, he could tell that he wasn't handling it well either.

He clasped Raven by the arm and quickly took her down to her bedroom. Once they got inside, Raven flung her arms around him, and completely broke down sobbing. _What the… _He wasn't at all prepared to deal with the type of reaction he was getting from her.

"It's not really that bad, Raven," he claimed, attempting to comfort her. "Hey, there are enough of us to handle anything. We're going to be back before you know it. I promise, and I'll come straight over here."

"I don't want to lose you," she cried. "I know I'm going to lose you."

He lifted her chin trying to wipe away her tears. "No, you're not."

Her eyes tightly closed, she buried her face in the crook of his neck, refusing to listen to him. "Yes I am, Jacob! I already know it!" She sobbed inconsolably.

He clamped his own lips together to keep from telling her he wouldn't go just to get her to stop crying, and stroked her hair comfortingly until her tears at last subsided. It was all he could think of to do.

Eventually, she pulled away from him and wiped her face dry. "I'm sorry, Jacob. I didn't mean to do that. Just feeling super stressed, I guess. I really wish you didn't have to go."

"But I do have to go."

"I know you do, and I shouldn't have done that with everything else you need to be focused on."

Even though she was a mess, she still looked very sweet and he could see how hard she was trying. They sat in silence for a few minutes. Then with her sad smile, she asked, "So should we go do something until then?"

"We could go hang out at the beach for a while, just to get away from the woods if you don't think it's too cool out?" Jacob suggested.

"No, it's always warm with you." She sniffled, struggling to relax.

Raven fixed herself up while Jacob ate the meal that Abby prepared for them then he and Raven went to the beach, leaving River and Leah behind.

* * *

A dark whirling mass of clouds was hovering over the middle of the ocean, miles off the coast. The rest of the overcast sky was glowing silver from the sun, and the ocean waves were gently crashing against the shore. The beach was filling up with surfers but nobody was surfing.

Jacob and Raven sat in the sand, along the shoreline close to the water. They were having a good time just hanging out, talking, and laughing. He forgot all of his problems for a moment just as he did every time he was with Raven and concluded that it was another one of the reasons he enjoyed being with her.

Jacob gestured toward the extremely dark sky. "Everyone's waiting for that storm to get closer. It'll bring some huge waves when it does, but its moving way too slow. I bet it won't get here until way after nightfall. It might not even get here until tomorrow morning."

Raven glared at the ocean, simply stating, "I wish I knew how to surf."

"You mean you can't surf?" Jacob acted surprised. "Well that's just ridiculous. You really should be ashamed of yourself, you know. In fact, I don't know if I can go out with you anymore," he teased.

Raven giggled profusely. "I'm serious, Jacob. I really want to learn to surf."

"Well, if you're really serious, I can teach you. I haven't been out there in a while myself. It seems like I'm always in the woods these days. Actually, I am always in the woods these days."

Jacob picked up some rocks from the gritty shore, walked out into the ocean, and began tossing them into the gentle foaming waves. His mind drifted to Raven's breakdown and how painfully distraught she looked. If that was any indication of how she would react when he couldn't be with her anymore, it's was going to be really, really bad.

_Quil and Leah were right. _

He wished he could tell her about the imprinting, but she cringed every time she heard the word and he wasn't going to force it on her. He decided he would pull away from her very subtly, however long that might take to try to make the separation as painless as possible. Even though he loved her, he realized that saying it was a mistake because he already knew who the future had in store for him. He promised himself that he would not say it again. Every time he thought he was making the situation better, he ended up finding that all he did was make it worse.

"Yup, I really think it's time," he said turning toward Raven, "that I get back out there and surf again."

Raven let out a breathy gust of air and burst out laughing, hysterically.

"What is it?" He smiled, bemused by her behavior.

She couldn't seem to stop herself from laughing and tears were coming out of her eyes, again. Finally, she gained control of herself and took another deep breath. "Just a wicked, wicked case of déjà vu." She chuckled. "Don't even ask. I'm really losing it, aren't I?"

He sat back down beside her and pulled her into him. "Yeah, but I love you anyway."

_Ah, hell! _He grimaced_._

Jacob heard the howling call of a wolf. "Seth's leaving. We better get back."

He could see the worry starting to re-emerge on Raven's loving expression and hear her fearful, worried heart as he walked her to the door. "Tell Leah that I'll meet her across the street, and_ promise_ me you'll do your best not to worry," he urged, seizing her lips with his and kissing her goodbye as meaningfully as he could.


	14. The Sons of Thunder

**C********h**apter 15

_**The Sons of Thunder**_

The sound of River's peaceful sleep pulsed throughout the living room by the time Raven calmed herself down enough to be able to come out of her bedroom. He was spread out on the couch in a deep _dead to the world_ slumber.

Abby was humming cheerfully at the kitchen table while sorting through a tin-can full of old papers. "What are these?" Raven asked, picking up a small pile of pictures.

"They're the pictures of your father and the letters I gave to River. Thank goodness he brought them with him." Abby patiently sifted through the envelopes. "I know it's here somewhere."

Raven flipped through the pictures. "Wow, Dad looks exactly like River!"

"He does… exactly. I'm going to make copies of those for you and have some blown-up, to hang around the house for me. As soon as I saw your brother, memories of Reed came flooding back. It reminded me of something that I needed to check out. It's got to be in here somewhere."

Abby retrieved an old yellowing piece of paper from a torn and wrinkled envelope. "Yes, found it!" She studied it carefully. "I knew it!"

"Take a look at this." She handed the paper to Raven, wearing a satisfied smirk.

It was Reed's family tree. Raven scanned the document. "I didn't know Grandpa John was a Blackfoot Indian. I always thought he was from the same tribe as Grandma Happy.

"Your Grandma belonged to a tribe that settled up north, close to Canada. Your Grandpa's tribe settled in Montana. I think. He passed away when Reed was a teenager, so I never met him. See the very first name on your grandpa's side?"

"My great, great, great Grandma was named Little Raven?"

"You're named after her. Now look at the small print right below her name."

Raven gasped. "She was Quileute!"

"I knew that tribe sounded familiar when we first moved here, but I never gave it much thought until now."

Abby enlightened Raven with what she knew of Little Raven. "She had shiny, pitch black hair like the feathers on a raven, and she was very pleasing to look at. One day, a man from a neighboring tribe spotted her and fell in love at first sight. He took several valuable gifts to her father for her in return. Her father didn't like the man and he refused to bargain.

"Several weeks later the camp was raided and she was taken away. It happened during a migration of the man's tribe so she was never found by her own people. The man loved her very much and tried to have patience with her, waiting for her to love him back. Yet, she refused him time after time. One night he became angry and attacked her.

"Two young girls from the village took pity on her and helped her escape. They gave her some provisions and a horse, and led her far away from the camp. They tried to point her in the direction of her home, but they were all so young and really didn't know the way. The horse wouldn't stay with her because she was a stranger to him and, eventually, he threw her off. All her provisions were gone with the horse.

"She wandered lost in the mountains for several days. A Blackfoot hunting party found her near death, starving, bruised, and battered. They took her back to their village where she fell madly in love with the young handsome warrior that found her. She was adopted into the tribe and remained with them for the rest of her days."

Raven gulped. "That's some story, Mom."

"You're dad told me that story the day you were born. I remember wanting you to hear it exactly the way he told it to me. It was beautiful. It's amazing to me how I allowed myself to forget so much." Abby sighed. "Little Raven…"

She poured a small gold medallion out from the bottom of the can and ran her fingers over it. "When I gave this to River for safe keeping, I told him that I wanted you to have it someday when you grew older."

"What is it?" Raven asked reaching for the medallion.

"It's a Saint Christopher medal, the patron saint of travelers. Your dad wasn't Catholic, but he loved that medal. I gave it to him shortly after we were married, the first time he had to leave me." Abby's eyes began to tear. "We held it together, between the palms of our hands the day that he passed away."

A lump swelled in Raven's throat. She took a few seconds to let it go away before asking Abby a question that often occupied her mind. "Mom, you knew that he was dying didn't you?"

"Yes, we knew when he wasn't responding to the treatments."

"Well, he knew he wouldn't be around when I was growing up and that I was too little to remember him. Why didn't he leave me something? Anything, a video tape, a tape recording, or a letter at least?"

Abby cast her eyes away. "I was only four months pregnant with you when he got sick. All those years between River and you, and I never got pregnant. Then when I did, we found out he was sick. He didn't want to die. He really struggled with knowing that he might not be around for you and River. I think that if he prepared for his death like that, to him it would have been like he was giving up, as if he was somehow admitting defeat." She tilted Raven's chin up. "Reed loved you with all his heart. You were _his _little Raven. '_My little Raven_,' he said it just like that every time he held you in his arms."

Raven gave Abby a small smile of understanding, and changed the subject. "What about River's name?"

Abby chuckled thoughtfully. "Reed just named him that because it went good with the last name Myles, River Myles. He would say it was because I traveled many river miles just to find you." Her eyes gleamed brightly at the memory.

"Mom, I hope you're not too disappointed that you haven't been able to spend much time with River, because Leah's been here." Raven cocked her eyebrow curiously.

"I don't mind. Leah's very beautiful. I have good feelings about her. He seems to really like her, and that makes me happy." Abby's expression turned serious. "Now what about you and Jacob?"

The question caught Raven off guard and she frowned, unable disguise her worries. "I went down to your room to check on you the other night, and you were crying." Abby persisted. She wasn't going to let Raven get away without an explanation.

"It had something to do with another girl. Her name is Rene or something," Raven answered grimly.

Abby softly laughed. "There's no other girl. I can see that he loves you. And I know you love him."

Raven felt her face redden. "It's more complicated than that, Mom."

Abby sighed. "It always seems like it is, but things will work themselves out," she said, smiling warmly. "Trust me, I know about these things."

Raven grinned. "Now you sound like Jacob."

* * *

Jacob, Leah, Quil, and Embry met up with Sam and the rest of Sam's pack in the woods by the beach. The anxious vibe among the wolves was as thick as the blackened clouds hovering above them. Jacob informed Sam that Seth was on his way to the site that they took Brady from but had yet to reach the destination.

_They said no attempts to follow him, so we'll see what they have in mind once Seth gets there. He's almost there. _

_Does he see anything yet? _Sam barked impatiently.

_Here it goes, four bloodsuckers. One is leading the way and three are staying behind. Seth says he's traveling northeast._

_I wonder how long the vampires will stay behind? _Sam thought.

_Seth is running full speed now, as soon as he has sighted some type of marker he'll focus on it. Otherwise, it may be necessary to track him by scent, but it didn't with work with Brady so we better not count on it working now._ _I think we should hang back the twenty-four hours for the pretense. Or until we know for certain it's safe to follow. There's no way to tell if the bloodsuckers stay there all night or leave within the hour. It's best to be extra cautious for now, _Jacob calmly stated in his mind.

_Your right, Jacob, if we have to track by scent, it'll lead us right past those vampires. Jared and Paul are overly anxious, though, and don't want to wait twenty-four hours._ _I still feel Brady is much closer than they want us to know. _

_Jacob. _It was Leah. _I know the place he sees. Seth and I have been through there before. He's on his way to the Cascade Mountains. Harry used to take us camping up there all the time. Sam's been there, too, with me._ Leah also thought how it no longer hurt to remember her and Sam together in that way.

_Sam. Seth is on his way to the Cascade Mountains. Leah says you've been through there._

_I remember. It's along the Skagit River. I wonder how far north they'll be traveling. _

Seth ran for hours, with not much but the woods to see, then he spotted a sign.

_Jacob, there's a town up here. Newhalem, the sign says. _

Jacob informed Sam.

_Leah's right. She and I went through that town once, looking for somewhere to stay. It's a company town. All the people that live there are employees of some hydroelectric project plant, owned by some company called something Lights, _Sam recalled.

_That's weird. Bloodsuckers? The entire town? _Jacob questioned.

_I don't think so, but I'm not sure. Maybe Seth is just passing through. Well, we know how to follow without using his scent now. That's something, _Sam thought._ We could at least go another direction, avoiding the three vampires that stayed behind._

Jacob concentrated on what Seth was seeing.

_Newhalem is only a few hours away by car, _Leah said_. We'll just have to see how far north the leech is taking him. Wait a minute…It looks like he's doubling back, not quite on his way to the town but somewhere near the town. _

_Jacob, guys, we are doubling back, in a circle, _Seth confirmed, _they may be trying to confuse the scent. _

They backtracked several miles in the direction they just came from. _We're about fifteen, twenty miles south west of the town now. There's an abandoned industrial type building. I can see it in the distance. I'm sure that's where we're going because they have to be holding the girls in some type of building, right?_

Jacob passed the information to Sam.

_Paul and Jared are barely containing themselves._ _Let's start running now. Since we know where we're going, we can take a different path, _Sam insisted.

_We're ready. You and Leah show us the way. Only make sure we don't get too close. We need to give Seth enough time to collect all the information needed, and then we need time to very carefully figure out how we're going to use it to our advantage._

They organized for the pursuit. Both packs set out for Newhalem with Sam and Leah running out front, flanked by Jacob and Jared. The storm was moving closer and the wind was quickly picking up. Everyone wondered just how the tempest would affect the night.

_Okay, Sam, quiet down your pack. Seth's there_.


	15. Inside Man

**Chapter 16**

_**Inside Man**_

Raven woke late during the night, to the sweet, expertly polished sound of a singing guitar. She quietly walked upstairs and found River sitting up by himself in the dimly lit living room. "Sorry, didn't mean to wake you. I couldn't sleep anymore. I found this downstairs. I'm glad you hung on to it."

"I still try to play it." _Whenever I was lonesome for you_. "I never really caught on to it that well."

River put the guitar down and rested his chin in the palm of his hand, glaring seriously at Raven. "So you knew about all this, huh, little sis?"

"I just barely found out myself. Did Leah show you?" Raven whispered.

"I wanted her to. She said it was up to me. I had two drinks, though, and she was afraid it would freak me out so I let her off the hook. Besides, even without seeing, I know that everything she told me is true. I can't explain how I know. I just do. It's incredible. She's incredible," River uttered quietly. "Everything feels so surreal right now. It's really weird." River appeared slightly stunned.

"Earlier you mentioned that you weren't planning on reenlisting. Did you tell Mom?"

"Not yet. I thought I'd let her know about it as soon as I got here. Things just took a turn in another direction."

"Is it because of Leah?" Raven pried.

"No. I had already started the separation process a few weeks before my last mission. It was a hard decision to make.

"I spent my life following in Dad's footsteps. It's been great, and it made me feel so close to him. But now, I'm getting nearer to the age that he was when he passed away. It's strange to think that where his footsteps end mine will continue on without him. I want to be on my own path when I'm at that age. I think Dad would want me to be on my own path, too. "

It was hard for Raven to listen to River talk about Reed like he knew him when she didn't have a memory of her own to recall.

"I love what I do and I love the people I work with, but I just had the hunch I needed to be somewhere else. Then you called." River laughed. "I always knew this was a strange world and I seen some crazy things, but I never knew how weird things really were until I got here."

"Mm hm." Raven nodded in agreement.

"You know what's really funny, though?" River said as if he was about to tell Raven a secret.

"What?" Raven leaned closer, all ears.

"I never told any of my girlfriends when I was about to go on a dangerous mission, but I'm sure some of the married guys told their wives." River grinned amused at himself and shook his head disbelievingly. "And look at me now, sitting here just like one of those wives feeling helpless and worried. I've got to tell you, it doesn't feel too good. You don't know how badly I wish I could have gone along."

"Not me. It's scary enough to think about what's really out there," Raven paused thoughtfully for a second, "I'm glad to know that Jacob and the rest of them are here to keep people safe."

Abby energetically trekked down the stairs and sat down on the sofa chair, smiling contently at both of her children sitting together again after all these years.

"Sorry to wake you, Mom," River apologized.

"Oh, no, the sound of your two voices talking together is music to my ears." Raven's heart skipped and she shot a flustered glance at River, wondering how much Abby heard.

"What had you two whispering so secretively anyway?"

"Well, Mom, it looks like I'm home to stay. That is if you and Raven have room for me around here," River announced, giving Raven a sly smirk.

Abby clasped her hands together, overjoyed. "You don't know how much you just made my day." She beamed, getting up from the sofa chair and giving River another big hug. "You don't have to leave us from here on out?"

"I do, but only for a few weeks and just to finish the discharge process, then I'll be home free," River explained, adding, "you know what? I might even get married, too!" He said this as if what he'd just announced was nothing out of the ordinary.

"River!" Abby blurted. Raven chuckled feeling as flabbergasted as Abby looked. "You only just met Leah yesterday. Don't you think you should give yourself some time to get to know her? Give her some time to get to know you?" Abby recommended, giving River a glower of insistence.

"Ah, Mom, of course I will. Leah's a special girl, though. What do you guys think I'm some crazy love-struck wuss?" River laughed, continuing to amuse himself. "Even if I am, I wouldn't want her to know it."

"It's my turn now. I got something to tell you two," Abby announced with a sly smirk of her own. "I'm buying a house in La Push.

Raven sat up straight in shock, bellowing, "What house, Mom? What are you talking about?"

"Mike told me I could keep this one as long as I pay for it myself, so now I'm going to sell it. You know Ella Walker? She's one of the elderly people that I take care of in La Push. She and her family think that it's time she moves in with them. Ella has a very nice three bedroom, two-bath house, and she wants me to take it. Besides, we don't need this big house anymore, we never did, and it'll be easier for me to afford," Abby explained.

After giving it some thought, Raven realized how happy she was with the idea.

"I like Ella. She reminds me of your Grandma Happy. She's so full of wisdom," Abby continued. "And, Raven, if you want to finish school here in Forks you can. I think it's time we get you the car Mike would never allow you to have. I want you to start living the normal life of a teenager that you were never able to live before."

Abby got up and walked into the kitchen looking very pleased with her intentions. "And you know what else? I'm going to sign up for nursing classes at the community college. I always wanted to be an RN."

Raven and River smiled at each other, delighted over Abby's new found independence.

"So, are you going to be ready to shoot some hoops with me sometime today?" River sighed standing up and stretching. "I hope you can still play."

* * *

Jacob internally repeated everything that Seth saw.

_It's an old abandoned industrial building with several other smaller buildings and sheds surrounding the main one. Four vampires are standing outside the main entrance, different vampires than the ones that stayed behind at the pick-up site. The main entrance is facing south. Seth is going into the building. Two more vampires are in the hallway. Seth's going to the main area of the building. It's on the east side. Six more vampires are in the main area room. _

_It's Brady. He's in a rod iron cage. He looks really sic_k._ Seth says the cage is pretty beat up and loose. He thinks it's from Brady slamming it. That's most likely the reason they're keeping Brady drugged. He thinks it looks weak._

The packs continued to run lightning fast, thunderously plowing through the thicket, trampling every foot of vegetation in their path, en route to the industrial building. Jacob could feel a concentration of restless impatience coming from Leah, Embry, and Quil combined with his craving to sink his teeth into several bloodsuckers. The feeling was abundantly powerful. He understood Sam's urgency to get moving as quickly as possible. Not only was Sam sharing the anxious impatience of all the other wolves, he was more specifically sharing Paul and Jared's desperate and unyielding necessity to retrieve the centers of their universes, their reasons for living.

_Entrance points and exit points, _Sam reminded.

_Windows at roughly twenty feet to twenty-five feet apart, maybe less, high up the wall on the east side. Seth spotted several smaller buildings and sheds outside, also on the east side. He thinks someone could use the smaller sheds and buildings to jump up to the main one and come in through the windows. They're big enough for us. _

_They're taking him to see the girls. Same side of the building, right next door to the room Brady's being held in. It's just your basic locked door. Someone could hit it and it'll pop right open. It's the girls. _He heard Sam command his pack to keep silent at the thoughts of Kim and Rachel. _They're fine but they look terrified. There is a table, two chairs, bed mattresses on the floor. Looks like they have food and blankets. It has the same wide windows on the east wall. It looks like we got our entrance points, Sam. They won't let Seth stay in the room any longer. _

_Jacob, tell Seth to convince the vampires to stop drugging Brady now!_ Sam insisted.

Seth was gone by the time Jacob could finish his thought_._ _Seth had to phase to talk to the vampires. We won't know anything until he gets back._

"He's sick, and you need to stop drugging him. The deal is that everyone be well," Seth told the vampire.

The vampire laughed. "And you need to realize you are in no postion to make demands, filthy dog."

"Look, I don't like it either, but the fact is we're all on the same side here, unless you don't want to be? I could just let my brothers and the Romanians know that you don't really want our help, in which case, you're holding our family for nothing."

The vampire groaned. "The mutt's been trying to escape ever since he arrived. Get him to stop and we'll see if we can forget about drugging him."

Seth was taking way too long. Jacob, Leah, Embry and Quil grew uneasy.

_Reeking bloodsucker didn't like it but he's considering it, _Seth thought out of nowhere. _As long as Brady stops trying to escape. _

Y_ou had me worried, Seth. _Jacob sniffed heavily, relaying to Sam, _The bloodsucker said he'd agree if Seth convinced Brady to stop trying to escape._

_Did he talk to Brady?_ Sam wondered.

_Hold on he's showing me what happened._ _The bloodsucker is standing beside Seth to be sure of what he's telling Brady. Brady does look real sick. Seth's telling Brady not to worry because he's there now. _

"Brady, buddy, it's me Seth. You're sick, dude. They said all you have to do is quit trying to get out of the cage and they'll stop drugging you. Don't worry. Sam, Jacob, and the rest of the guys are all going to Italy in a few days to destroy the Volturi. Before they even get back, we can all go home. I'm going to be here, too, with you, Rachel, and Kim. I'm not going to try to escape. There's no point when we'll all be going home soon anyway," Seth comforted. "We're all looking forward to seeing the Volturi destroyed."

_Brady's barely conscious, but he's whimpering like he understands. _

_As soon as I can hear, Brady, I'll make sure he lies quiet until the attack. They don't need to know how quickly we heal, _Sam determined.

_Seth says he hasn't seen any other vampires yet, besides the sixteen already counted. They're taking him somewhere else. It's a cafeteria. It's a huge walk-in freezer, a broken freezer? _

_What the hell! _Jacob growled deep in his chest as the feelings of danger and uncertainty took a hold of him_. Seth? Wait a minute Sam… he's gone. _


	16. Anyway the Wind Blows

**Chapter 17**

**_Anyway the Wind Blows_  
**

Raven woke late during the night, to the sweet, expertly polished sound of a singing guitar. She quietly walked upstairs and found River sitting up by himself in the dimly lit living room. "Sorry, didn't mean to wake you. I couldn't sleep anymore. I found this downstairs. I'm glad you hung on to it."

"I still try to play it." _Whenever I was lonesome for you_. "I never really caught on to it that well."

River put the guitar down and rested his chin in the palm of his hand, glaring seriously at Raven. "So you knew about all this, huh, little sis?"

"I just barely found out myself. Did Leah show you?" Raven whispered.

"I wanted her to. She said it was up to me. I had two drinks, though, and she was afraid it would freak me out so I let her off the hook. Besides, even without seeing, I know that everything she told me is true. I can't explain how I know. I just do. It's incredible. She's incredible," River uttered quietly. "Everything feels so surreal right now. It's really weird." River appeared slightly stunned.

"Earlier you mentioned that you weren't planning on reenlisting. Did you tell Mom?"

"Not yet. I thought I'd let her know about it as soon as I got here. Things just took a turn in another direction."

"Is it because of Leah?" Raven pried.

"No. I had already started the separation process a few weeks before my last mission. It was a hard decision to make.

"I spent my life following in Dad's footsteps. It's been great, and it made me feel so close to him. But now, I'm getting nearer to the age that he was when he passed away. It's strange to think that where his footsteps end mine will continue on without him. I want to be on my own path when I'm at that age. I think Dad would want me to be on my own path, too. "

It was hard for Raven to listen to River talk about Reed like he knew him when she didn't have a memory of her own to recall.

"I love what I do and I love the people I work with, but I just had the hunch I needed to be somewhere else. Then you called." River laughed. "I always knew this was a strange world and I seen some crazy things, but I never knew how weird things really were until I got here."

"Mm hm." Raven nodded in agreement.

"You know what's really funny, though?" River said as if he was about to tell Raven a secret.

"What?" Raven leaned closer, all ears.

"I never told any of my girlfriends when I was about to go on a dangerous mission, but I'm sure some of the married guys told their wives." River grinned amused at himself and shook his head disbelievingly. "And look at me now, sitting here just like one of those wives feeling helpless and worried. I've got to tell you, it doesn't feel too good. You don't know how badly I wish I could have gone along."

"Not me. It's scary enough to think about what's really out there," Raven paused thoughtfully for a second, "I'm glad to know that Jacob and the rest of them are here to keep people safe."

Abby energetically trekked down the stairs and sat down on the sofa chair, smiling contently at both of her children sitting together again after all these years.

"Sorry to wake you, Mom," River apologized.

"Oh, no, the sound of your two voices talking together is music to my ears." Raven's heart skipped and she shot a flustered glance at River, wondering how much Abby heard.

"What had you two whispering so secretively anyway?"

"Well, Mom, it looks like I'm home to stay. That is if you and Raven have room for me around here," River announced, giving Raven a sly smirk.

Abby clasped her hands together, overjoyed. "You don't know how much you just made my day." She beamed, getting up from the sofa chair and giving River another big hug. "You don't have to leave us from here on out?"

"I do, but only for a few weeks and just to finish the discharge process, then I'll be home free," River explained, adding, "you know what? I might even get married, too!" He said this as if what he'd just announced was nothing out of the ordinary.

"River!" Abby blurted. Raven chuckled feeling as flabbergasted as Abby looked. "You only just met Leah yesterday. Don't you think you should give yourself some time to get to know her? Give her some time to get to know you?" Abby recommended, giving River a glower of insistence.

"Ah, Mom, of course I will. Leah's a special girl, though. What do you guys think I'm some crazy love-struck wuss?" River laughed, continuing to amuse himself. "Even if I am, I wouldn't want her to know it."

"It's my turn now. I got something to tell you two," Abby announced with a sly smirk of her own. "I'm buying a house in La Push.

Raven sat up straight in shock, bellowing, "What house, Mom? What are you talking about?"

"Mike told me I could keep this one as long as I pay for it myself, so now I'm going to sell it. You know Ella Walker? She's one of the elderly people that I take care of in La Push. She and her family think that it's time she moves in with them. Ella has a very nice three bedroom, two-bath house, and she wants me to take it. Besides, we don't need this big house anymore, we never did, and it'll be easier for me to afford," Abby explained.

After giving it some thought, Raven realized how happy she was with the idea.

"I like Ella. She reminds me of your Grandma Happy. She's so full of wisdom," Abby continued. "And, Raven, if you want to finish school here in Forks you can. I think it's time we get you the car Mike would never allow you to have. I want you to start living the normal life of a teenager that you were never able to live before."

Abby got up and walked into the kitchen looking very pleased with her intentions. "And you know what else? I'm going to sign up for nursing classes at the community college. I always wanted to be an RN."

Raven and River smiled at each other, delighted over Abby's new found independence.

"So, are you going to be ready to shoot some hoops with me sometime today?" River sighed standing up and stretching. "I hope you can still play."

* * *

Jacob internally repeated everything that Seth saw.

_It's an old abandoned industrial building with several other smaller buildings and sheds surrounding the main one. Four vampires are standing outside the main entrance, different vampires than the ones that stayed behind at the pick-up site. The main entrance is facing south. Seth is going into the building. Two more vampires are in the hallway. Seth's going to the main area of the building. It's on the east side. Six more vampires are in the main area room. _

_It's Brady. He's in a rod iron cage. He looks really sic_k._ Seth says the cage is pretty beat up and loose. He thinks it's from Brady slamming it. That's most likely the reason they're keeping Brady drugged. He thinks it looks weak._

The packs continued to run lightning fast, thunderously plowing through the thicket, trampling every foot of vegetation in their path, en route to the industrial building. Jacob could feel a concentration of restless impatience coming from Leah, Embry, and Quil combined with his craving to sink his teeth into several bloodsuckers. The feeling was abundantly powerful. He understood Sam's urgency to get moving as quickly as possible. Not only was Sam sharing the anxious impatience of all the other wolves, he was more specifically sharing Paul and Jared's desperate and unyielding necessity to retrieve the centers of their universes, their reasons for living.

_Entrance points and exit points, _Sam reminded.

_Windows at roughly twenty feet to twenty-five feet apart, maybe less, high up the wall on the east side. Seth spotted several smaller buildings and sheds outside, also on the east side. He thinks someone could use the smaller sheds and buildings to jump up to the main one and come in through the windows. They're big enough for us. _

_They're taking him to see the girls. Same side of the building, right next door to the room Brady's being held in. It's just your basic locked door. Someone could hit it and it'll pop right open. It's the girls. _He heard Sam command his pack to keep silent at the thoughts of Kim and Rachel. _They're fine but they look terrified. There is a table, two chairs, bed mattresses on the floor. Looks like they have food and blankets. It has the same wide windows on the east wall. It looks like we got our entrance points, Sam. They won't let Seth stay in the room any longer. _

_Jacob, tell Seth to convince the vampires to stop drugging Brady now!_ Sam insisted.

Seth was gone by the time Jacob could finish his thought_._ _Seth had to phase to talk to the vampires. We won't know anything until he gets back._

"He's sick, and you need to stop drugging him. The deal is that everyone be well," Seth told the vampire.

The vampire laughed. "And you need to realize you are in no postion to make demands, filthy dog."

"Look, I don't like it either, but the fact is we're all on the same side here, unless you don't want to be? I could just let my brothers and the Romanians know that you don't really want our help, in which case, you're holding our family for nothing."

The vampire groaned. "The mutt's been trying to escape ever since he arrived. Get him to stop and we'll see if we can forget about drugging him."

Seth was taking way too long. Jacob, Leah, Embry and Quil grew uneasy.

_Reeking bloodsucker didn't like it but he's considering it, _Seth thought out of nowhere. _As long as Brady stops trying to escape. _

Y_ou had me worried, Seth. _Jacob sniffed heavily, relaying to Sam, _The bloodsucker said he'd agree if Seth convinced Brady to stop trying to escape._

_Did he talk to Brady?_ Sam wondered.

_Hold on he's showing me what happened._ _The bloodsucker is standing beside Seth to be sure of what he's telling Brady. Brady does look real sick. Seth's telling Brady not to worry because he's there now. _

"Brady, buddy, it's me Seth. You're sick, dude. They said all you have to do is quit trying to get out of the cage and they'll stop drugging you. Don't worry. Sam, Jacob, and the rest of the guys are all going to Italy in a few days to destroy the Volturi. Before they even get back, we can all go home. I'm going to be here, too, with you, Rachel, and Kim. I'm not going to try to escape. There's no point when we'll all be going home soon anyway," Seth comforted. "We're all looking forward to seeing the Volturi destroyed."

_Brady's barely conscious, but he's whimpering like he understands. _

_As soon as I can hear, Brady, I'll make sure he lies quiet until the attack. They don't need to know how quickly we heal, _Sam determined.

_Seth says he hasn't seen any other vampires yet, besides the sixteen already counted. They're taking him somewhere else. It's a cafeteria. It's a huge walk-in freezer, a broken freezer? _

_What the hell! _Jacob growled deep in his chest as the feelings of danger and uncertainy took a hold of him_. Seth? Wait a minute Sam… he's gone. _

**7**


	17. The Perfect Storm

**Chapter 18**

_**The Perfect Storm**_

_Okay, I want Jacob, Embry, Quil, Jared, Collin, myself, and Ethan and Elijah up front,_ Sam directed - Ethan and Elijah were Sam's twin cousins. _We'll take most of the action. I want the rest of you younger wolves to stay close by one of us; I plan on making sure no one gets hurt tonight._

The packs picked up speed ready to charge the building, hoping to get close but - not too close - before the vampires came out to defend. They were all racing at full speed with Jacob and Sam running side by side, up front, flanked by Jared and Embry next to each of their specific pack leader.

_Jacob, Brady's showing us something,_ Sam informed. _There's a male, Native American bloodsucker that had a thing for one of the girls. He made certain he stayed close to them. Brady heard him planning on changing her. He's not sure which one of the girls the bloodsucker was referring to. _

A wrath filled howl emerged from Jared, followed by several other wild, angry howls resonating throughout the woods, signaling their presence in the area as thunderously rowdy as possible.

_Paul, did you see that? _Jacob heard Jared ask.

_He better hope I don't get to him before you do!_ Jacob heard Paul respond to Jared.

Jacob gasped, caught off guard. _Sam, can you hear Quil?_

Sam listened. _I can hear them all, Leah, Embry, and Seth, too. What's going on? _

Through Seth and Brady, Jacob saw several vampires make a mad dash out of the building, reacting to the howls. At that very same moment, Jacob witnessed Brady and Seth break through their holding confines simultaneously, with Leah and Paul crashing through the windows at the exact same time, followed by Samson and Josiah.

_We'll have to figure that one out later, Sam, because here they come. _Jacob ducked, dodging a vampire, barely missing a fist through his body. He pushed himself forward with all his power, rushing back, and viciously biting at full strength.

The vampire convulsively shook lose, slamming Jacob to the ground, painfully knocking the wind from him. Jacob sprung back up and with extreme force, he hurdled himself into the bloodsucker, knocking it toward Quil. Quil dove at it from behind, catching it by the back of the neck and dragging it down.

Jacob sharply circled around, searching for another target. He glanced to his side and saw Sam slashing through the neck of a bloodsucker. Another wolf, Collin, had it by the leg.

Bodies, both vampire and wolf, were bouncing all over the area. Curdling hisses, growls, and high pitched whimpers sounded all around him.

Two more vampires sped at Jacob so fast he hardly saw them coming as they rammed him into a tree. Embry lunged in front of Jacob, violently tearing off an arm. Jacob grabbed a hold of the other one's skull, gnawing at it. Images of every wolf's battle were rolling through Jacob's mind, being stamped directly into his memory.

A bloodsucker was wrestling with Ethan. Elijah tackled it chewing at its body. He and some others dragged it away and pulled it apart. A vampire swooped in behind Quil while he was facing off with another one. Embry pounced from out of nowhere, hitting the bloodsucker away from Quil. Two younger wolves pinned it down tearing and clawing at it.

There was so much going on at the same time, Jacob had to concentrate and intentionally focus on the vampires that he himself encountered.

_The girls are safe and we're on our way._ Paul howled as he and Seth rushed to the battle site.

Jacob swirled, scanning the area, nearly all of the vampires were overcome. Jared had the last one grounded, ripping through its chest while Collin crunched at its neck.

The younger wolves did a good job of being precisely where they were needed when someone needed them, finishing off the downed vampires and making sure that none of them reemerged. Every vampire had been stopped and all was quiet.

By the time Paul and Seth arrived, the battle was over. All that was left were several mangled lumps of slithering rocks. The attack played out perfectly coordinated, due to the reuniting of the packs and the fact that they were all able to think with one mind, knowing exactly what was happening with the other.

Sam and Jacob made sure that everyone acknowledged how lucky they were that they outnumbered the vampires. They built a fire and began to burn the remains.

_Liam, has the Volturi been contacted?_ Sam asked. Liam was the newest young wolf; Sam had ordered to stay behind.

_Yes, and Bella told Sue that Alice saw the Volturi guard, and the Romanians have already been taken care of. _

_Huh, that was fast!_

Brady and Josiah showed up, after having burned the remains of the three bloodsuckers that stayed in the building.

Thick, hazy smoke expanded over the mountain side. The storm had passed through quickly and the rain drops slowed to a drizzle, blowing wet cold along with the wind.

A few of the wolves were phased to their human forms, feeding the fire. The others were still in their wolf forms, tearing at vampires that were trying to crawl to their specific pieces. Everyone was reliving their battles with each other.

Leah told the wolves that the girls were fine. She and Samson were moving as quickly as possible to get them home. Paul was sifting through the remains, counting and recounting.

The noise in Jacob's head was too much for him to wade through, so he phased to human form, along with Embry, Ethan, and a couple of the others.

Paul and Jared snarled wildly, sprinting after the girls. Which didn't at all seem unusual, but Collin and Elijah gave chase as well.

Sam phased into a human. "Jacob there's a problem, the Native American vampire isn't down. Paul glimpsed him leaving the building and just assumed Jared or one of us would meet up with him out here.

Jacob felt an odd sense of _déjà vu_, suddenly remembering Leah being attacked by a hidden vampire. He spun around, combing the area. All at once, everything turned fuzzy. Jacob fixed his eyes on Embry. He was leaning over at the edge of the clearing.

An image shot out in a blur. Jacob heard himself screaming Embry's name and felt himself exploding into the wolf at the same time, along with Sam and the other human forms, all attempting to jet across the opening before it was too late.


	18. Black Dawn

**Chapter 19**

_**Black Dawn**_

The dark, murky vampire image, obscured by its speed, streaked toward Embry's back, pushing its fist through Embry's chest, and attempted to take hold of his head. Quil and some others were already leaping at the same time Jacob was exploding and raged filled growls rang out piercingly, echoing throughout the mountains. Quil ferociously dropped the vampire, but only before it could do more damage to Embry's fragile human body. Every other wolf was on the vampire chomping, gashing, and gutting it to bits.

It wasn't the Native American vampire.

Embry fell forward with no expression. The woods were spinning and everything appeared to fade out for a time. All Jacob could hear was the sound of several broken wolves howling in tortured agony.

When he came to, he was laying beside Embry along with Sam and all the others. Everyone was suffering in absolute anguish, devastated. He wasn't sure how long they all sat there weeping and wailing, but finally Sam pawed at him. _Jacob, we have to pull the pack and ourselves together, finish this up and take Embry home._

Jacob nodded, lifelessly dazed.

_There were seventeen vampires. _Seth whimpered turning his moisture soaked eyes to Brady. _We didn't count 'em right. _

_Seth! Don't you even think it,_ Sam barked with firmness. _Y__ou either, Brady, no one can count what they don't see or hear._

The pack burned every piece of vampire scrap soundlessly and quietly left for home with Embry's body flung over Sam's back. Even though they were all phased to wolves, not one internal notion was made, not one thought was heard. Everyone was in utter shock.

It was late morning when they reached La Push. The pack decided that first Sam and Jacob would go together to let Embry's mom know what happened to him. The rest of them would show up later to pay their respects.

Sam and Jacob drove in complete silence. Before they reached the main gate to the house, Sam stopped the truck. "Let's just walk the rest of the way from here," Sam suggested.

Neither of them was in a big hurry to get there. They were about halfway down the long approach when Sam stopped again. He hung his head, his shoulders slumping. Jacob gave him a few minutes.

"I don't think I can do this," Sam muttered.

Jacob knew exactly what Sam was feeling. He was dying inside the same. He reached out and put his hand on Sam's shoulder. "We're going to get through this. We all will. Together," Jacob consoled, trying to convince himself as well.

"I don't think I can face her," Sam murmured softly, tears overflowing his eyes.

Jacob was quiet. He was hurting tremendously, but he felt cold and numb at the same time.

"I should have let him tell her, you know? Why didn't I?" Sam whispered, his eyes glazing in introspection. Sam's tears began to pour down his solemn face.

"You did what you thought was best." Jacob felt the lump in his own throat grow until he too was crying. "You were trying to protect her. Look at the danger we already put Rachel, Kim, and everyone else in who knows our secret."

Sam scowled, reacting angrily to Jacob's words. He shouted, "What's the point in that, Jacob? Sooner or later, everyone on this Rez has to know! I mean, none of us are aging. What are we planning to do… move away? And how do we protect the tribe then?"

Jacob put both fists in his pant pockets and hung his head, staring at the cracks in the desolate mud caked road below his feet through blurry eyes. He had nothing to say.

"Protect them," Sam scoffed. "How do you know that's what I did? He was my little brother, and I didn't even acknowledge it." Sam let go and sobbed uncontrollably.

Jacob stayed silent until Sam's sobs quieted. "You knew…for how long?"

"I think for a while now." Sam paused for several more moments. "I could have made his life easier, you know? I could have made _her_ life easier. She thought he was a bad kid. He wasn't a bad kid. He was a good kid. He was my younger brother and I kept him in trouble. She couldn't even be happy with him, proud of him. I took that from her. I took that from both of them." Sam was speaking with hostility toward himself.

"You didn't know." Jacob wept quietly as he tried to comfort Sam.

Sam began to sob again; he pressed both of his fists against his forehead. "Are you sure about that? Maybe I just resented her, resented him." He met Jacob's pained eyes and asked, "How do you know I didn't want him to follow my orders instead of hers just because I could make him? How do you know I didn't enjoy him disobeying her?" His expression twisted in suffering. Sam was torturing himself.

"You didn't, Sam!" Jacob insisted with a raised - practically shouting - voice. He glared at Sam sternly and stressed, "I know you didn't! We would have seen it. Someone would have heard it."

Sam lowered his head, kicking at the drying mud road. They both cried until they were able to pull themselves back together again and continue on to the house. When they got to the door, they wiped their faces dry and stood still for a minute or two. Jacob took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Embry's mom yelled. She was sitting at the kitchen table reading the newspaper.

"Embry's not here. He hasn't been home for a few days. I thought he was with one of you two. I swear I don't know what I'm going to do about that boy," she complained.

The look on Jacob's face halted her on the spot. She paused and looked from Jacob to Sam and back to Jacob again. Her expression turned to worry. "What is it?"

Just then, there was another knock at the door. The door swayed opened and Paul wheeled Billy inside. Paul went back outside, closing the door behind him. Jacob saw the strength and comfort of Billy's eyes. He was never happier to see Billy in his life.

"What's going on here?" Embry's mom jumped up, on the verge of panic.

"The boys have some things they need to tell you," Billy said in a voice saturated with authority. "Go ahead, Sam."

Billy squeezed Sam's arm giving Sam the strength to speak.

Sam told her the entire story from the beginning, starting with his own transformation. He left only one detail out, the final moment of Embry's life. Embry's mom wept quietly as she listened to everything thing he had to tell her. She remained surprisingly calm, probably from the shock of it all. Still, the stabbing misery was clearly manifested in her brokenhearted eyes.

When Sam finished, Billy opened the door and Sue and Leah walked in. Sue approached Embry's mom, folded her arms around her, and held her while all the sorrow erupted.

One by one each of the pack and some of their parents entered the house and shed tears with Embry's mom.

* * *

_Jacob, Embry, and Quil were hanging out at the cliffs appreciating the uniquely hot, bright, sunny day. They were all trading silly jabs at each other and taking turns trying to push each other into the water. Jacob felt great. They sat down together, talking and laughing. Everyone was enjoying themselves immensely._

_Embry stood up. "Well, guys, I better be taking off now,"_

_Feeling slightly panicked, Jacob jumped up, begging Embry to stay longer. Embry insisted he'd already stayed long enough. "You guys got things to do today, and so do I."_

_Embry knew of Jacob and Quil's reluctance to let him leave and encouraged them to continue on without him. "Don't worry about me, I'm not going far. I'll be right here when you need me. And I plan on stopping by and hanging out with both of you as often as I can. We're going to have a heck of a lot more good times just like today. Hey…maybe I'll meet you guys on the court next time."_

_"I'll be back soon," Embry reassured them. He turned to leave but turned back again. He was smiling so brightly that Jacob could feel the loving warmth, comfort, and peace radiating from Embry's entire body, surrounding them both and communicating to them exactly what he was feeling._

_Embry was amazingly happy and perfectly at peace. "Hey you guys should see all the girls hanging around my place. They're all so good looking… every one of them is a complete angel."_

_"I bet they are." Jacob grinned, and a tiny teardrop glistened in the corner of his eye._

_"I don't think I can pick just one. You know what? I don't think I will either." Embry laughed and faded off into the distance._


	19. Love between the Lines

**Chapter 20**

**_Love between the Lines_**

Jacob opened his eyes, bubbling with more cheer than he felt after waking in a long while. He had the strangest feeling that he wasn't merely dreaming about Embry. But that Embry had actually been by his dream for a visit, and Jacob was looking forward to many more pleasant dreams just like the one he had.

"You're finally up, it's almost noon," Billy said, staring down into Jacob's groggy eyes.

Jacob had fallen asleep on the living room floor, again. He rolled over trying to stretch out. His body felt very stiff, like he had been in the same position all night long.

"You were mumbling in your sleep, but I didn't want to wake you." Billy furrowed his eyebrows, worriedly. "I hope your sleeping okay?"

"I'm sleeping fine, Dad. Don't worry. I'd tell you if I wasn't. Where're you off to anyway?" Jacob asked, changing the subject. He knew Billy meant well, but he didn't like to be hovered over.

"I'm going over to help Embry's mom. She's got to go through his things today, and she doesn't want to be alone."

"Dad, I really appreciate the way you're helping her through all this, and I know that Embry would really appreciate it as well."

"She's a very nice person, and everyone needs a friend, especially in times like these. Sam's been a real big help to her, too. She said he stops over at least once a day to see if she needs anything, and she really enjoys his visits. You know who else is a nice person?" Billy offhandedly questioned. "Raven's mom, Abby, and cute, too!"

Jacob threw a pillow. It skimmed across Billy's head. "Chill, Dad, the ink's not even dry," Jacob joked, chuckling at the thought of Billy and Abby.

Billy laughed. "I'm just saying."

A car horn blared for Billy. "Anyway, I'll be meeting with the council at Old Ouil's later. There's still so much we're trying to find out about you kids, and we're working on seeing what reunited the packs, too. You know, you and Sam really ought to start sitting in on the sweats," Billy suggested, as he wheeled himself out the door.

"Wait a minute, I'll help you," Jacob jumped to his feet and followed Billy outside.

A few minutes later the phone rang and it was Raven. She was going off excitedly about Abby finding a buyer for their house in Forks. "We'll be able to move to La push pretty soon because the people that are buying the house are in a big hurry to get the sale finalized," she excitedly squealed. "So come over, I want to go do something fun today."

"Me too," he said, sharing her enthusiasm. "I'll be right over,"

Abby was working more often so Raven was usually by herself at home, and that drove Jacob insane with worry. River was still in Fort Bragg finishing things up, he had one more week left. He sent for Leah almost immediately after he went back, and she'd been there ever since.

Jacob spent nearly everyday with Raven for the last couple of weeks. Except for the one time when she seemed mad at him for something and wouldn't let him in on it. Afraid that she was getting tired of him, he forced himself to stay away from her for a couple days. It was painfully tough, nearly unbearable.

When he finally did go see her, she bit his head off for not coming around or calling, and made him promise he would never do that again. He promised, reveling in the knowledge that she wanted him around just as much as he wanted to be around, because he missed her like crazy when they weren't together.

He believed that getting through the last few weeks would have been impossible without her. Raven had a brightness surrounding her that always made him feel good. She became almost like a lifeline for him. She felt like home.

Being fairly athletic, they did a lot of fun things together that most girly girls wouldn't do, and very soon, she'd be living in La Push only minutes away. He loved the idea of it.

At one time, he'd thought he was going to slowly distance himself from her, but with everything else that happened, breaking it off didn't seem as important as it did before. The issue still invaded his mind at times, happy times it seemed, and he remained unsure of what he was going to do about it. He decided that he'd know when it was time to deal with the situation.

He did stop telling her that he loved her. Not because he didn't want to say it, but because when he did, it seemed like it bothered her for some reason. She always gave him her sad smile. He just figured she didn't want to say it back, and she never did. That didn't matter to him though, he knew precisely how she felt about him by the way she looked at him, and by the way her body responded to his whenever he touched or kissed her.

* * *

"How's Jacob been doing?" Abby asked as she was getting ready for work.

"He's seems to be doing all right. I can tell that he misses Embry, though. Sometimes he gets so quiet, Mom, I don't know what to do or say to help him," Raven glumly explained.

"It's so rare for someone to be killed by a bear, even for these parts," Abby commented. "Death is hard for everyone. I'm sure your helping him just fine."

"I hope so. I hate to see him sad." Raven glanced at the clock on the wall. "I better get ready. He's on his way over."

Things were normally pretty awesome between her and Jacob. Raven loved being with him; however, once in a while he became enormously distant. They could be sitting right next to each other, in each others arms, and it felt like she was sitting alone.

Raven held her breath during those times, wondering if he was thinking about Embry, thinking about her, or thinking about Rene. It was really hard because she was always afraid that the first thing out of his mouth was going to be something like, "I can't see you anymore because there's someone else, and its time for me to be with her."

On one occasion, he was overtly aloof with her and it wounded her deeply. After all, it wasn't her fault. That particular day, it almost seemed too painful to continue to be with him. She wondered if she should tell him what she knew and stop hanging out with him altogether.

Then he stopped coming over, didn't call, and didn't answer the phone when she called him. She thought she was going to die from the emptiness she felt from his absence. She realized that she truly couldn't be without him, it was far too painful, that there was nothing more important to her than being with him. They'd been inseparable ever since, and their times together were becoming more and more intimate.

Still, Rene and the situation sparked her curiosity, tremendously. Questions like, why isn't it time for them to be together, and when will that time come sometimes crept through her mind, unexpectedly. Several times she was tempted to call Leah but always ended up chickening out.

She heard a hasty banging at the door. She looked out the window, spotting Kristy. "Did I leave my jacket here? I can't find it anywhere," Kristy asked impatiently.

"Mm hm. It's downstairs in my room. Come on in."

"I'm going to the park with Quil today and it feels like it might get cold out later."

Raven raised her eyebrow. "You and Quil been hanging out a lot lately."

"It's not like that, we're just friends. He's babysitting today and just asked me to come along and keep them company. That little Claire is just so cute."

"Are you sure, it's not like that?"

"I'm sure. He reminds me of Embry. And I think he just needs a grown-up friend to talk to you know? He always has to babysit." She shrugged as if she was pushing her questions about that, aside. "I've got to run. I'll talk to you later."

She and Embry had planned to go on their first official date. They never got the chance, though. Raven didn't know that Kristy had really felt something for him, until the funeral when she broke down crying on Quil's shoulder. They'd been friends ever since.

Jacob snuck up and embraced her from behind, kissing her on the neck. She loved it when he did that.

"Why are you dressed like that, or should I say, why aren't you dressed, like that?" she asked. "I thought you wanted to go do something."

"I do. I want to go running today." He grinned, mischievously.

"Okay," she narrowed her eyes, suspicious of the devious smirk on his lips, "but I have to go change."

"You don't need to change. I said, _I_ want to go running, and I want _you_ to ride with me. You're from Texas. When's the last time you went riding?"

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"Yup." He chuckled. "C'mon, it'll be fun! Besides, you've never been very far off the walking paths and there's a whole lot more to see out there. Just let me show you."

"I don't know, Jacob." Raven shook her head indecisively. "That seems a little too weird for me."

"C'mon on, Raven, this is the first time I felt like being in the woods in a long time, and I want you to be there with me." Jacob flashed his adorable smile.

She pursed her lips, shifting uneasily at the thought, but reluctantly gave in. She hesitantly put on a sweatshirt, filled a back-pack with bottles of water, soda pop and sunflower seeds.

They walked across the street and into the woods. "So how do we do this?" she asked.

"I'll tie this piece of leather around my neck for you to hold, if you need to. Otherwise, you can just hold on to me. Don't worry, you can't hurt me. You're way too little," he teased.

She waited nervously while Jacob changed.

When he came back out of the brush, Raven's jaw dropped open wide. She had forgotten how beautiful he was. His thick russet fur was perfectly elegant. There was a cheerful gleam in his deep brown eyes, as he curiously watched her reaction to him. Once again, she was overflowing with profound adoration. He gracefully sauntered toward her and gently knelt down beside her, panting faintly. She sighed deeply; even in wolf form he took her breath away. Quietly chuckling to herself, she climbed on top of him and gripped a hold of him tightly, snugly winding her legs around his torso as she thought about how odd of a situation she was in. He slowly stood up on all fours, lifting her effortlessly and letting out a low rumbling growl that sent a wave of butterflies through her tummy. She utterly surrendered herself, basking in the pleasure of being able to be part of his fantastic world.

The forest was alive with various spring colors and scents, and lush green moss stunningly covered the different branches and trees like a furry green blanket. Wild flowers bloomed lavender, yellow, and pink while leafy bushes filled with bright red berries mixed in fittingly. As if that wasn't enough, every sound the forest held was like music, playing the most exquisite concerto.

Jacob carried her through several beautiful meadows and high up into the mountains. She was able to see the splendor of the cliffs against the ocean background. They reached what she thought was the most beautiful scenic growing meadow of them all but didn't stay. Jacob continued further and finally stopped at an even more gorgeous surrounding. It was a concealed flowered clearing, overlooking a smooth icy green river with water fall. Froth brewed from a small cascade. He knelt down slowly and she climbed off so that he could change.

When he came back, she could barely catch her breath from the unexpected splendor she beheld. "I never thought it was possible to see this much beauty in such a short time." Raven gasped.

"I knew you would like it up here," Jacob boasted, sitting down on a bed of little white bunch berry flowers. "I hid up here for a while when I first ran away from home."

"You ran away from home?" she inquired, sitting down beside him. "Wait, I'm sorry you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to.

Jacob wrinkled his forehead, briefly looking away. "It's fine. I don't mind talking about it if you don't mind listening?"

"I don't mind listening."

"Okay, the reason I ran away from home was because of a girl," he said.

Raven held her posture straight, startled by his candor. She smiled broadly, trying her best to conceal her discomfort. _Oh…oh here it comes,_ she thought.

He squinted, observing her closely. Her face heated from knowing he was trying to read her reaction. Then taking hold of her hand, he smiled, always knowing exactly what she needed.

"Don't worry. I'll give you the short version. It was Charlie's daughter, Bella. She was my best friend. I thought that I was in love with her. But… she was in love with someone else, the guy she ended up marrying. It hurt so much at the time that I didn't know how to make it stop. I came up here and hid out for awhile. It turned out it wasn't far enough away, and eventually I really left town."

The thought of Jacob hurting, made Raven feel awful. A girl would have to be nuts not to recognize how amazing he was. "Jacob, if it's too much for you to talk about, you don't need to tell me anymore." Raven frowned worriedly.

"It's not. Truthfully, it doesn't affect me one bit anymore. Besides, it wasn't the right kind of love. It was painful and unhappy, not at all good. At the time, I didn't know anything different, so I continued to put myself in situations that only made things worse. Bella always knew that we weren't meant to be more than friends. And then one day, I saw it, too, and things have been great ever since."

Raven considered what Jacob went through. He must have loved Bella exceptionally, to feel the need to run away. "I just want to tell you that I'm really sorry you went through all that, and I truly feel bad for you. Are you sure you're okay now?"

"Actually, I know for certain I am. In fact, I'm unbelievably happy these days," he reassured her, peering into her eyes and kissing her hand.

A warm coziness enveloped Raven. She felt especially close to him, very much at ease, and overwhelmingly in love. She softly cleared her throat. "At least you got this place out of it. It's amazing up here."

"The beauty is all around the woods. You just need to know where to look."

She gazed at him. His face was peacefully relaxed. She admired every detail of it, tracing his features with her eyes, and ending on the cute little dent on his chin, before leaning over and softly kissing him. She couldn't imagine someone not loving him back. "Well, I didn't have to look very far because it all started with you."

He circled his arms around her, and gently coaxed her down on top of him. When their lips parted, she scattered several tiny kisses across his neck until goose bumps appeared, along with a faint rolling growl. She smiled to herself, loving the way he reacted to her.

She gave her heart to him practically the first day they met. She was convinced she'd never love anyone else the way she loved him. As much as she wanted to tell him that, though, she knew pronouncing her love to him was pointless. Her feelings had no relevance to the future, anyway; neither did his for that matter. She swallowed the words she yearned to say as she made her way back to his lips.

_I love you Jacob Black,_ she silently sighed.


	20. Changing Lanes

**Chapter 21**

**_Changing Lanes_**

Ten weeks had passed since the pack laid Embry to rest. While things were still quite painful for everyone, it was slowly starting to get easier to deal with. The pack continued to run tight, frequent patrols and made sure that someone was always watching Kim and Rachel since they never located the missing vampire.

Jacob woke up, realizing that he overslept again. He had been having another great dream of hanging out with Embry. He jumped out of bed and called for Billy, only to find that Billy was already gone. They were supposed to meet with Sam about what Billy and the council felt united the packs. There was also a bonfire scheduled for that same evening, which was more than likely the reason Billy left without him. He grumbled at his dad's lack of patience then chuckled, realizing how much alike they were.

He showered, got dressed, and hurried over to Sam's place hoping that he'd be lucky enough to catch Billy before he left. When Jacob pulled into the yard, Sam was sitting alone on his front porch and Billy was nowhere in sight.

"You just missed Billy," Sam yawned stretching.

"Yeah, I figured as much. I guess he didn't want to wake me again. He thinks I'm not sleeping well. I wasn't at first, but it's gotten much better," Jacob confided. "I can actually sleep all night sometimes."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Sam understood perfectly well.

"So did he tell you anything or is he going to make us wait a week, trying to get us together?"

"Actually, he did. He said he could have just as well told you what they found out, but he wanted to talk with us together. I guess since the timing hasn't work out, he just gave up and told me to fill you in when you got here and he'd talk with _you_ about it when he sees you," Sam said.

"Okay, let's hear it. What does the Council think happened?" Jacob quirked his eyebrow fully interested.

"It's simple. We were all performing as one pack, working with the same heightened, intense goal in mind. We were sharing a purpose that was crucial to each and every one of us. That's what caused us to reunite. Here's the part that seems strange to me, though. I don't know. We'll see what you think about it. They said two Alphas or Co-Alphas existing harmoniously in one pack." Sam shrugged, appearing puzzled.

"Co-Alphas," Jacob repeated with the same questioning tone. "Is that possible?"

"Billy says yes. I didn't feel that I had any power over you when the packs reunited. Did you feel anything like that over me?"

"Nah, nothing at all."

"Billy said we both think so much alike that we're almost one mind anyway. We make a good team."

"A hell of a good team," Jacob chimed in.

Sam smiled. "Yeah we do." He sounded like he was becoming convinced as he listened to himself speak. "Apparently, we only had one issue dividing us and that issue isn't even an issue anymore, according to Billy."

"What was the issue?"

"I don't know. He said he'll have to talk with you about that one _first_."

"So what do we do now?" Jacob asked. "How is this supposed to work?"

"Hmm. I think we could operate as usual, if it's okay with you? Unless you have some things you want ironed out before we attempt it?"

"Nah, I don't mind the way you do things. I mean, it works for the pack and with the numbers we have now, I could see why it's necessary to give orders to get things done the right way," Jacob carefully rationalized then added, "But since I only make requests, the one thing that would concern me is Leah and Seth. They're used to having their free will so my only condition would be to let _me_ handle them by myself."

"Sure, sounds good to me," Sam agreed, chuckling. "Leah scares the hell out of me anyway."

"Well, since everything's good here, I guess I'll take off. I should already be at Raven's house helping with the move. I guess I'll see you later."

"Here's the key to my pickup. You still wanted to borrow it, didn't you?" Sam asked tossing Jacob the keys.

"Yup, I'll have it back by this evening before the bonfire."

"One more thing, Jacob," Sam suddenly remembered as Jacob was walking away. "Billy said to remind you that he wants everyone at the bonfire tonight. He also said to invite Raven. He forgot to tell you that himself, and he wasn't sure if he'd see you again before tonight. And, uh… tell Leah to bring what's his fa…" Sam swallowed and took a deep breath, "tell her to bring River. He's back around here now, right?"

"Yup, he's back around, and I'll make sure they get the invitations."

Considering the tone in Sam's voice when he made his last remarks, Jacob drove away wondering if Sam was a bit jealous of River and Leah, possibly even hurting a little. Jacob figured it would certainly be natural for Sam to be a little wounded, and Jacob supposed that Leah might even enjoy that notion.

Jacob sprinted into his house when he heard the telephone ringing off the hook.

"Hello," a familiar voice said.

"Bella," he blurted, very surprised to hear her on the other end of the line. "Hey, what's up?"

* * *

"Raven, come up here!" Abby yelled from the living room.

Raven ran up the stairs anxiously, thinking that Jacob finally showed up. She wasn't expecting to see the buyers for the house already there. They weren't scheduled to arrive for a few more hours. A very nice looking family was standing in the living room.

"These are the Coronados," Abby introduced. "They're originally from Dallas, Texas."

"Hi, it's nice to meet you," Raven responded.

She sat down with Abby and politely made small talk for a few minutes before excusing herself to finish packing her room. Shortly thereafter, she heard a basketball bouncing in the driveway and thought River was back with the moving truck.

"Is this yours?" the young man asked holding the ball out in front of him. "I hope you don't mind. They're going through the house again, and I got tired of waiting around. It's Justin by the way."

"Not at all, help yourself."

Justin tossed the ball into the hoop asking, "So, what it's like around here?"

"It's wet." Raven giggled. "Coming from Texas and all. That's the only way to describe it. But after a while it grows on you. I like it here."

Raven found that Justin was a very friendly outgoing person. Before she knew it, they were shooting a game of lightning and getting along very well. He told her that he had just signed a letter of intent to play Division I College Basketball for the Washington Huskies and that his parents wanted to move closer so that they would be able to attend his games. Raven was impressed. She told him she liked watching college basketball more than she liked watching the NBA, the games seemed far more dynamic to her. Justin grinned. He was extremely easy on the eyes, but guys with light hair and light eyes weren't her type. He did have a nice smile, though, but compared to Jacob's, it didn't hold a candle.

Jacob honked the horn, pulling into the driveway in Sam's pick-up truck. He sort of smirked at Raven and Justin with some kind of look that she wasn't familiar with. She brushed it off and introduced them. They shook hands and chatted for a few minutes until Justin's parents were ready to leave.

"Nice to meet you, and good luck with your basketball," Jacob said cordially, winking at Raven.

After the Coronados left, Raven sensed some bizarre tension coming from Jacob. She was certain that it didn't have anything to do with Justin because Jacob was way too confident for that, but it was obvious to her that something was considerably bothering him. "Show me the boxes that you want me to start with."

She could tell right away that it was going to be one of those distant times. Raven showed him the boxes, and he quietly started loading them in Sam's pick-up truck. River came back with the moving van and he and Jacob got directly to work on the heavy stuff.

"I saw the Coronado boy checking you out," Abby teased, as she wrapped dishes and carefully put them into boxes. "His eyes nearly popped out of his head like Jessica Rabbit entered the room when you came up."

Raven rolled her eyes, pretending not hear her. She glanced out the window to see where Jacob was, but she couldn't see him.

"I thought he was pretty cute," Abby went on.

Raven spun around facing Abby and put her finger to her lips. "Mom, shush…" she whispered, glaring. "He wasn't as cute as Jacob, now be quiet."

Abby softly laughed, agreeing. "That's true, but still."

A few minutes later Jacob came in and asked her to sit outside with him while he took a break. She held her breath until he put his arm around her, kissing her on the cheek. She softly sighed, feeling relieved that the distant moment had passed, and she was able to enjoy the comfort of his warm arm around her.

"Hey, ah, there's a family bonfire tonight. I already told River about it. Billy wants you to come, too."

"Sure I'd love to."

Jacob lifted her chin and kissed her softly then grinned. "I bet you get hit on all the time, don't you?" he asked, out of the blue.

"Where did that come from?"

"Just tell me," he said with a half smile.

Raven faked conceit, flipping her hair over her shoulders. "Well, if you really want to know… at least a few times a day."

"That much, huh?" Jacob pursed his lips, meeting her lighthearted humor with a very serious look.

"I'm _kidding_." Raven giggled. "What's this all about?"

Jacob's expression relaxed. "I bet that guy was hitting on you, wasn't he?" He beamed cheerfully, and Raven didn't know what to think. Something strange was definitely going on with him.

"Is Jacob Black jealous?"

"No, Jacob Black's not jealous. I just want to know." Jacob put his hands around her waist and started tickling her.

"Okay, okay, I'll tell you." She laughed. "He did ask for my number, and I told him I had a boyfriend."

"And then what?"

"And then what… What do you mean?"

Jacob raised his eyebrow. "And then what?"

"And then he gave me _his_ number for when I don't."

Jacob frowned, lowering his eyes discontented.

"I'm kidding." Raven chuckled uncomfortably, bemused by Jacob's behavior. "And then _nothing_. I told him all about you, and then _you_ showed up."

Wrapping her arms around him, she pressed her face into his neck, loving the subtle, clean fresh-forest scent of his skin. She nuzzled him, breathing him in deeply. "That tickles…" Jacob squirmed, finally giving into his smile. "I guess I was a little jealous, just a little tiny bit, though…Don't get a big head."

Raven laughed. "Be quiet."

"That's not true. I was really jealous, and he looked guilty, too."

"Is that what was really bothering you Jacob?" Raven asked searching his face for an underlying answer she felt certain he was hiding.

"Not really, but I can't talk about it right now. Later for sure," he said, kissing her on the tip of her nose. "I better get back to work. I got here late enough as it is."

They finished loading all the boxes and furniture and drove to the house in La Push. Raven rode with Jacob in Sam's truck. "I don't know what's wrong with Sam's radio. It only picks up this stale country station," Jacob complained.

"That's okay. I'm from Texas, remember? Ooh, I like this song. It's an old Gary Allen song," she told him as she turned the volume up.

_I don't want to hurt nobody, don't want to make nobody cry_

_I don't want to do wrong. I don't want to do wrong._

_I don't want to tell no lies._

_I'm loving you. Loving you against my will._

_Your love is like a deep dark river, pulling me out to sea._

_The harder I try to resist you, the weaker I seem to be._

_I don't want to turn down your side street. I don't want to pull in your drive._

_Don't want to see you standing there. Don't want see you standing there._

_Don't want to see that look in your eyes._

_Girl, I'm loving you. Loving you against my will._

"Country music sucks!" Jacob mumbled, scrunching his eyebrows together all crabby looking. Raven cast her eyes away from him, frowning. She knew without a doubt that something serious was troubling him. "Well, I think it's true and honest."

"That's what I mean, it sucks!" He scowled, practically knocking a hole in the stereo when he agitatedly banged his hand against it in a haste to turn it off.

_Oh, oh! _"Jacob what's wrong?" Raven sharply demanded.

"Nothing's wrong."

_Liar!_ "Yes there is! Something's always wrong and you might as well just tell me about it!" she unexpectedly shouted.

She burned with anger toward him for the secret he was keeping from her. Raven had never felt this resentful and frustrated with him before. She was getting so sick and tired of hiding what she knew; she wanted to scream it out at him and be done with it all. She stared out the window motionless, trying to calm down before she broke out into tears.

Jacob pulled over to the side of the road and stopped the truck. "Raven, I don't want to fight with you about this."

"Is that what we're doing? Fighting, cause if it is, it's the first," she uttered softly, forcing herself to look him in the eyes.

They both stared silently at each other for a minute. A slow smile inched across Jacob's face. Raven bit her lip trying to keep from smiling back. It was no use. She couldn't resist his smile, and they both cracked up laughing. Jacob slid next to her and kissed her sweetly. "I'm sorry."

No sooner did that happen, and he was back in his distant mood, brooding around the house as he moved furniture and unloaded boxes. Raven trembled inside, darn near certain that it was the beginning of the end for her and him. "Everything's all unloaded. I need to take Sam's pickup back. Do you want me to come by and pick you up for the bonfire or do you just want to meet me there?"

"I'll meet you there… if I go. There's just so much to do around here," she claimed. She had a bad feeling about going to the bonfire and was already feeling emotionally burnt out from his ambivalent behavior.

"You have to go. I really want you to be there." He hugged her persuasively, kissing her neck, and smiled. Judging by the despondency in his eyes, though, she could see that there was no truthfulness there.

As Jacob drove out of sight, Raven inhaled deeply, alarm bells going off inside her heart and her mind. She plopped herself down on the couch and hung her head while tears filled her sad troubled eyes.

* * *

**A/N** The song lyrics are Gary Allen's _Lovin' You Against My Will_


	21. Under the Cherry Moon

**Chapter 22**

_**Under the Cherry Moon**_

Jacob sat by himself on a piece of driftwood far away from everyone else, squishing his feet in the sand as he listened to the repetitious crashing of the waves and the high pitched screeching of the seagulls. Raven wasn't there yet and he was beginning to think she wasn't going to show up.

It had been a very long, eventful day. Which had started out great, but quickly turned to totally sucking, and it could only get much worse from there.

After Jacob left Sam's, he went back home to pick up some rope that he'd forgotten when Bella and Nessie unexpectedly called.

"…are you calling to deliver my invitation to go visit you guys?" Jacob halfway joked.

"Uh, no, not exactly," Bella replied, her voice squeaking a little. "We just called to say hello. Is that okay?" She started explaining something that wasn't making any sense about why it wasn't a good time for him to come and visit yet.

Jacob laughed, carefree. "Relax, Bella. I wasn't really putting you on the spot. I was just joking." _Sort of_. "Anyway, I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

Bella explained that they just wanted to catch up with him to make sure that everyone else was getting along okay after everything that had happened. Nessie also had several stories of her own that she wanted to share with him.

It was really good to hear from them. He was glad they had called. Too bad they didn't have something better to talk about than the great and powerful new best friend, Nahuel. _But whatever makes Nessie happy._ Jacob shrugged.

When Jacob left his house, he felt great.

The day took a turn for the worse, though, when he spotted Raven outside her house playing basketball, with some guy. He could tell by the hair color that it wasn't River. Jacob was so surprised that he just drove right by and circled around the block. She was having such a good time that she didn't even notice him. Then again, he _was_ in _Sam's_ pickup truck. Jacob was raging with jealousy, a feeling he hadn't felt since Bella and Edward. He needed to calm down some, so he pulled over a few houses away from Raven's and sat there wondering who the guy was. He watched them laughing together while they shot around. She was making everything she tossed up, and looked pretty cute doing it. She was amazing, and if he could see it, he was sure that the guy could see it, too.

It was the first time he'd ever seen her interact with another guy because they didn't attend the same school. But after he thought about it, he was betting that a lot of guys paid attention to her.

Jacob suddenly realized that someday she'd end up with someone else anyway, and he didn't have the right to care. Just then, it hit him like a crowbar. He was a jerk. Nothing but a big thieving jerk, stealing precious time away from her.

His jealousy turned to guilt, a sickening guilt, and shame quickly overflowed him.

He felt totally selfish for wasting Raven's time. What was he planning to do? Be with her for the next few years, continuing to share close personal moments with her while Nessie grew up, and then just walking away callously. He couldn't do that_._

If he wasn't always hanging around her, she could find someone that would really be free to love her, someone that she had a possible future with. He felt like he was just passing the time away with her, and she didn't deserve to be treated that way.

He had allowed himself way too much involvement, and now he was in deeper than ever. Jacob sat there watching her and trying to figure out what to do next. He finally started the pickup truck and pulled into her driveway.

He couldn't continue to be with her, no matter what. It was about time that he explained everything as delicately as possible and let whatever happens, happen_. _He was planning on talking to her immediately after the bonfire.

Jacob needed to find a way to impress upon her that he really did love her and it was for that reason, he wouldn't take up anymore of her time. He was concentrating on exactly how he should approach the subject with her. He knew she would be devastated and he was trying to figure out a way to help her to understand.

Would she cry? He was pretty sure that she would, and he didn't know if he could take it. It was hard enough to watch her cry the last time. The urge to tell her that he wouldn't go was extremely powerful that day when all he wanted to do was end her sadness. Would he be strong enough to overcome another compelling urge to make her feel better? He wasn't so sure.

The thought of hurting her was killing him. He did _not_ want to do it. But the thought of not letting her find someone who could truly love her was just as bad.

Ending it had to be the right thing to do.

Only he couldn't figure out why it didn't feel like it. Scowling, he laughed to himself, mockingly - remembering going through this same conversation in his brain a couple months ago. The night he ended up telling her that he loved her.

To be fair, it wasn't like he hadn't tried to do the right thing before. It just never seemed to work out. Time and time again, he did the opposite of what his mind told him to do. He never seemed to be in control of himself when he was with her.

_Excuses… excuses… _Then that stupid song came on the radio and it was more than he could handle. Before he knew it, he had pissed Raven off, and he was pretty certain she wasn't going to show at the bonfire because of it.

He should probably be relieved if she didn't show up because he wasn't looking forward to the conversation anyway. But the truth of the matter was; he was tired of going back in forth with this and he wanted it to stop. Maybe she'd get so mad at him that she'd never want to see him again, completely taking away his choice to be with her. That might be for the best in the long run. At the same time, he prayed that she wouldn't hate him too much and maybe they could still be friends.

Something icy cold and wet touched his hot back, he flinched, recoiling involuntarily. He took a deep breath and inhaled the fragrance that he always found comfort in. He looked behind him and Raven was standing there with a can of soda pop and a big grin on her face, radiating the brightness that always surrounded her. He knew she shined for him but was it his imagination or was she truly, literally, glowing with a faint white light?

She sat down beside him somewhat apprehensively, wrapping her arm through his. "What are you doing way over here?"

"I was waiting for you. I wasn't sure you were going to show up because I was acting like an idiot today." Jacob forced a smile.

She smiled back, carefully it seemed, then quickly turned away. "Were you acting like an idiot today? I just thought you were acting normal," she teased, looking back at him. "Just kidding, I forgive you. Besides, I couldn't pass up being with you under a red moon and then cuddling with you near a cozy fire."

Normally Raven was pretty easy to read, but Jacob's emotions were clouding his senses and he couldn't tell if she was happy or just pretending to be. _She's not going to make things easy is she? _

"A red moon?" he asked, dully.

"It's a red moon again, look," Raven pointed at the moon. "It's kind of hard to see because of the overcast, but it's there."

"Huh, it is red again. Let's go sit with the others, okay? I want you to hear all the stories. By the way, I'm glad you showed up," he muttered glumly.

Raven noticed his lack of enthusiasm. "Are you sure about that?"

"Sure, I'm sure. Sorry. It's just been a really tough day." He kissed the top of her head, took hold of her hand, and they made their way to the fire.

Everyone was gathered around the bonfire prepared to listen to the legends that Billy and Old Quil retold every time there was a certain amount of new transformations or new additions to the family.

Jacob and Raven sat down on a blanket in the sand beside Billy, and River and Leah were sitting next to Sue. Embry's mom was on the opposite side, sitting with Sam and Emily.

Jacob tried to entertain himself by watching Brady and Collin fawn over one of the newest wolves. She was a pretty fourteen year old girl named Journey. He got the impression that Journey was crushing on Seth, and Seth looked irritated by all the attention she was paying him. Journey was only the second female wolf – ever - and Leah had her hands full with helping her to deal with the transformation.

River and Raven were mesmerized as they listened to the story of the Spirit Warriors. Jacob had already heard it so many times before that he couldn't seem to pay attention, and he unknowingly kept distracting Raven by restlessly squirming. Tiring, he stretched out on the blanket with his hands behind his head and looked up at the heat hazed sky, slowly drifting off to the sound of crackling pops coming from the fire. He sucked in the smoky taste blowing toward him as he yawned.

Old Quil began telling the story of the Third Wife and Jacob yawned again, barely keeping his eyes open. When Old Quil finally finished the story, he announced, "The Legend of Imprinting."

_What? _This story was never told during the bonfire before. Jacob sat up swiftly, wondering the reason for the change.

Enraged, as he listened to Old Quil's worn raspy voice, he sharply cut his eyes at Billy. _No one seems to be able to mind their own freakin' business around here!_

Jacob glanced at Raven, her expression was tense with dread and her heart was thumping with anxiety. His arm accidentally brushed against her arm, and she pulled herself completely away from him. This wasn't the way he wanted to approach the subject with her_. _

_I'm going to kill Billy. _

"The legend tells us that imprinting is love at first sight, only much stronger as it creates a persistent and constant bonding between two people that can not be broken. When their eyes meet, the will of the wolf awakens as it immediately realizes that it has found its partner. Though the wolf's will has awakened, it may take the _human side _some winning over. He will wait for the woman he loves by not aging, for he knows that she is _the_ _one,_" revealed Old Quil.

Jacob was on edge as he continued to listen. It didn't help matters that Old Quil and Billy were staring right at him, shining a huge, luminous spotlight on his already extremely guilty conscience.

Billy added, "Never before in our entire history has there ever been this many wolves at once. As we have continued on our path for knowledge, things have continued to be revealed to those of us that seek the answers, and this is what has been made known to us."

Old Quil continued, "Though the legend tells us that the bond can not be broken, the bond can be loosened, let go of completely, but _not_ by the wolf.

"When this happens, either by _death_ or by _human_ _choice_, the way is made for another. If it were not so, survival of the wolf species would be at risk. This transfer may not be as evident to the wolf as that of the first imprint. Nevertheless, the strength and commitment of this new bond shall remain equally as powerful. It is this bond that was made known to us in the Legend of the _Third _Wife."

Infuriated with Billy and the Council, Jacob unwilling digested Old Quil's words as he listened to the sound of Raven's anxious heart beats slow, feeling a more depressing tone from her overall presence.

Then gradually, Jacob began to grasp the meaning of the new words that were said.

A flash of his and Nessie's recent telephone conversation powerfully surged through his mind. "_He's my new best friend!"_ As did the _nothing particularly vital_ way he felt after the conversation ended with her, a feeling he had grown quite accustomed to, over the months that he spent away from Nessie, Bella, and the Cullens. It had become so easy for him to get along without her in his presence. _Whatever makes Nessie happy…_

All at once, everything clicked into place. He realized that it was Raven that he couldn't stay away from anymore, and it was her scent that he could detect above any other, and it was her disposition that he was constantly attuned to. It was her every expression that made his world go around. Jacob ignited with exhilaration. He anxiously turned to Billy. "You knew?"

"No, but considering your behavior, we suspected something. We just needed to be sure." Billy gave him a nod of approval while Sue smiled at him with amused enjoyment.

Jacob quickly looked at Raven. She was ignorant of all that had just been spoken. It looked like she wanted to get up and leave. Jacob took hold of her hand.

"Can we go for a walk?" he eagerly asked.

She glared at him, jiggling her hand free. Ignoring his question, she stayed put. Her shoulders were slumped forward; the gleam was gone from her eyes, and the color had drained from her cheeks and lips. She stared into the fire extremely depressed.

Jacob caringly lifted her chin up with his fingers. "It's okay. I'll explain everything to you in a few minutes."

Raven closed her eyes and yanked her head away from him, refusing to look at him.

He impatiently waited for the crowd to thin out, which seemed like hours going by. Once the crowd dissolved enough, Jacob asked, "Raven, do you love me?"

Raven took a deep breath and sighed. "I do but… I know that you've been trying to tell me about your imprinting." Her voice cracked and with a painfully weak tone as she asked, "Was this the reason you wanted me to come tonight?"

"Yes, but I didn't know _they_ were going to talk about it. They did, though, and we can be together _now!_" Jacob was ecstatic, however, Raven didn't notice.

She hung her head. "_Now,_" she sulked. "Until when? Until it _happens_ or until it's _time_?"

"But it has happened, that's what I'm telling you. That's what Billy and Old Quil were telling you. That's what they were telling us."

Raven sullenly refused to listen to him.

"Please just try to understand, Raven," he pleaded.

Raven interrupted him agitatedly. "Jacob, I know _it_ happened and I do understand. But, what I don't understand is why I needed to hear about _it. _Stupid unbreakable bond! I don't even want to think about _it_; it's bad enough I know about _it!" _

Jacob put both hands on Raven's shoulders and turned her to face him, firmly stressing, "It's you, Raven!"

A glint of hostility flickered across her face. She was outraged and snapped, "It's not me! It's you. You're the one that knew about it all this time."

Jacob covered her mouth with his hand and desperately tried to look into her eyes. She lowered her eyes turning head away from him, stubbornly.

Desperate for her to understand him, he was unexpectedly overwhelmed with the desire to…"Marry me!" he blurted trying to keep his voice down.

"Wait. What? Wait a minute... What?" Raven looked disorientated. She ran her fingers through her hair, shaking her head in confusion.

"What are you talking about? What's that supposed to do?" She scowled pursing her lips while she distractedly let his words sink in.

"Not now, someday when we're out of school or college. Someday, whenever you're ready. I don't care when, just promise me." Jacob searched Raven's glower for some comprehension.

He lifted her chin again, focused intently on her entire face until she finally met his eyes and absorbed his stare.

Speaking slowly, he said, "I asked you to marry me because it's _you_, and it has been you since the very first time I spoke with you that day in the alley. That's why I was never able to stay away from you."

She was momentarily stunned while trying to absorb his words. Suddenly, Raven's eyes brightened up and sparkling color came back to her face. He could see that she finally understood. A brilliant smile emerged as she began to glow radiantly with tears in her eyes.

In the next instant, she hurled herself at him knocking him on his back. The taste of her kiss was sweet mixed with salty tears, and a few tiny drops fell from her eyes to his. Her heart was beating rapidly against his chest while they shared their most explosively stimulating kiss, ever.

"Whoa, little sister, take it easy! I'm sitting right here," River reminded her, nervously laughing under his breath at the spectacle of it all.

They both reactively froze at the sound of River's voice. Raven pulled away startled, and Jacob sat back up. Everyone's eyes were centered on them. Raven flushed ruby red with embarrassment.

_It's a good thing its dark out,_ Jacob thought.

Silly snickers were coming from some of the guys, and Jacob's ears and face felt as hot as her color which was surprising to him because rarely did he get embarrassed.

Leah stood up and attempted to yank River up beside her. "We're going for a walk," she asserted. Then she glared a silent demand to the few that were left so they would leave as well, letting Jacob and Raven know she was trying to get them some privacy.

River stood up. "We'll just be right over there," he said, pointing to a nearby log that was a little way up the beach.

"No, we won't. We're going far," Leah insisted.

"We'll be right back," River argued lowly, glaring sternly at Leah then resting his eyes back on Jacob and Raven.

"No, we won't. We're taking our time," Leah maintained, defiantly tugging at him until he gave in and hesitantly wandered off with her, up the beach.

Raven hugged her knees burying her face. She and Jacob sat in silence until River and Leah were totally out of sight and what was left of the pack took the hint and left as well.

"What about Rene?" Raven asked cautiously, raising her head slowly to meet Jacob's gaze once everyone else was gone.

Jacob's eyes widened, and his eyebrows lifted with uncertainty. "Who?" He asked, elevating the end of the word.

"I don't know." Raven shrugged.

Jacob narrowed his eyes in deliberation for a second. "Okay, I get it now." He nodded is head with understanding. "It's Renesmee, and from what I understand, we're only ever going to be friends."

Assessing Raven's demeanor, Jacob asked, "Do you want to hear the story behind that because I'd like to tell you everything?"

"I do and I promise I will, but right now. I feel exhausted." She attempted to smile but yawned instead. "But it's a happy exhaustion. You have no idea what I went through today. What I've been going through."

"Now that you mention exhaustion," he said, stifling a yawn of his own. "Trust me. I'm sure I have a pretty good idea."

He brushed his lips against hers. Lingering on every sensation, he slowly kissed her, conscientiously absorbing each of her distinct characteristics; her taste, her smell, her looks, the sound of her sighs, and the feel of her body in his arms, far more intensely than he had ever allowed himself to do before, guilt free.

"I'm sorry for all that," he exhaled.

Raven grinned blissfully. "You should be, and I know that you'll be making it up to me," she feistily smirked.

Jacob chuckled. "I will, too. I promise"

"There's something else wrong, though," she hesitantly stated.

"What?" he asked, wrinkling his forehead.

"It's about that imprinting thing… Okay," she spoke slowly and distinctly, "I know that I love you because _I_ love you. You only love me because something's forcing you to love me. That just doesn't feel right to me."

Jacob sat quietly for a few moments, reflecting on Raven's concerns and reliving the day she first entered his life.

"I don't know if this will help you at all, but I'll tell you anyway. I liked what I saw of you, the very first time I had seen you standing in your bedroom looking out the window. I also, liked the way your voice sounded when you were singing that same evening. This was way before our eyes ever met, so I want to believe that even without the imprinting I would feel the same way about you, as I do right now."

Raven listened silently thinking about Jacob's revelation. Jacob was very absorbed in his own thoughts. He put both of his arms around her and leaned her back into him so that she was resting against him. She fit so perfectly in his arms, and she felt overwhelmingly comfy to him. His eyes were focused intently on the fire while he concentrated on how he was going to describe his own take on imprinting to her. Jacob gathered his thoughts together and began. "I didn't like the idea of imprinting myself, at first," he admitted.

He fell silent, still momentarily reasoning, and then he very thoughtfully offered, "I guess what helps me to accept imprinting now is this, I know out of all the girls in the whole world there is no girl better suited for me then you are. Lucky for the both of us, and thanks to the wolf inside of me, I'm able to recognize it."

Jacob felt Raven, quivering against him, and she quietly sighed. "Wow, that thought really does help."

A few seconds later, she turned toward Jacob and looked deep into his eyes. "Well, yes, then, I promise that I will marry you someday!" She smiled, breathtakingly beautiful, and whispered, "Thank you for your mom's red moon promise."

Jacob grinned, feeling absolutely intoxicated with peace and contentment flowing through him. He held Raven tighter, becoming aware that never had he felt as much joy as he did that very moment. He grazed her cheek and neck with his lips and quietly breathed into her ear, "My little Raven at last."

* * *

**A/N** _Again, the words from the first portion of the legend of imprinting that old Quil speaks are from this website listed on my profile page.  
_

_I want to make sure I give the site credit for them._

_Hear Billy's explanation in the Epilogue, as he talks to Jacob about what transpired betweem him and Raven._

_You'll also get to hear Rachel's pov on the Native American vampire. Which one of the girls did he have the hots for? What really occurred when Rachel and Kim were in captivity?_

_And as always, Thank You for reading, and more especially, for sticking with me until the end. =D_


	22. Epilogue

**_Epilogue_**

Jacob stood fidgeting by the flowered arrangements in front the familiar crowd of local guests.

There was no decorated arch because she said she didn't want anything artificial ruining the landscape's natural beauty. It was a miracle she even allowed them to set chairs up.

The decorations consisted of an abundance of strategically well placed wildflowers native to the area. They were high up on a flat, overlooking the cliffs against the deep ocean background, waiting for the ceremony to begin. It was another miracle they were even able to drive up there in the first place. They'd all had to pile into the backs of 4X4 pickup trucks.

He was already starting to sweat, making him itchy and even more impatient and uncomfortable. All they needed was the blushing bride and they could hurry and get the show on the road.

Jacob ran his fingers under his collar as he glanced up at the sky. Everything looked precisely as it was supposed to look.

She'd planned this for an entire year, almost exactly to the day of the proposal. The season had to be the same to get the very image that she desired. It had to be free from overcast so a person could see the sky clearly, which was a feat in itself. They had all been on standby for the past month and a half. Also, the time of day had to be early sunset for the picture to be perfect, and it was.

A lot of planning and weather watching went into the ceremony. She was certain she could pull it off, but the rest of them weren't as confident. Her mom had secretly rented the ballroom at the resort, and made them decorate it just in case it rained. She'd kill them if she ever found that out.

To the west glowed the sun, and the sky was fiery amber weaved with several shades of lavender. The east held the moon, nearly full, surrounded by pale and a darker dim-blue. That was the biggy. She wanted to see the sun and the moon sharing the sky, each showcasing their individual beauty and wonder on opposite ends of the spectrum. That's the way it was when she said yes.

Jacob had to give it to those girls. They really knew what they were doing when it came to planning the day of their dreams.

The horse-drawn carriage finally arrived and Brady and Collin eagerly performed their duties with honor. They held their hands out and elegantly escorted the bride down from the carriage. Her brother stepped down. They latched arms and walked down the aisle.

He looked so proud to be giving her away. He fulfilled his father's responsibility, perfectly.

The stars were shining in her eyes as she approached the front of the section outlined for the occasion. She was mesmerizing in all her beauty and radiance.

Jacob turned to look at the groom. River was absolutely stunned as she walked toward him.

The Quileute singers were gathered around the drum singing Harry's favorite Quileute celebration song.

"Wow!" was all River managed to utter, gulping.

He had to be the luckiest man in the world, Jacob thought. No. Wait a minute, he was. He gazed over at Raven. She smiled innocently at him unaware of what she did every time she looked at him that way. He knew nobody was supposed to outshine the bride on her wedding day. He had to admit, though; Raven was still the most gorgeous girl there, even without trying to be.

Although, he was sure River would probably disagree. He glanced at the audience, glimpsing his boys with their girls and laughed to himself, realizing that Paul would probably disagree too, so would Jared, and so would Sam.

Sam! He scanned him quickly and saw that this was a little bit hard for him. Not that his heart was hurting or anything. Just knowing that Leah once belonged to him and if things were different, or should he say, if things had remained the same it would be Sam standing beside him at the moment. He has his sweetheart Emily though, and all is good.

Jacob sucked down a yawn. It sure is funny how things work out.

His mind drifted to the night that he discovered Raven was his imprint and what Billy had to say about it. Billy and the elders do a lot of fasting and praying about wolf things during the sweat lodge ceremonies.

_Billy explained to Jacob: "Because your imprint attachment with Nessie wasn't allowed to develop and evolve, creating the persistent, constant bonding between you two, it gradually detached, starting from the human side. They don't feel the magnetic pull that the wolves feel._

_"When the Cullen's left- Nessie was placed on a new path, separate from yours. Your and Quil's situations were different from the others, due to the young age of the imprints and because a romantic attachment has not yet been formed. This makes the bond more vulnerable and in need of constant attention on the human end._

_"The same type of transfer would eventually happen should a wolf be rejected by their imprint. The wolf would not be allowed to pine for too long over someone who would not accept them. That would be detrimental to the species. Because Raven and River came from one of the great Quileute blood lines, they made for strong genetic matches. Although, not too close of a match, which was most likely the case with Leah and Sam. When the detachment began to occur, your focal point began to shift. I could see that there was a connection drawing you toward Raven. Didn't you feel it?"_

_There was an illumination surrounding Raven, and Jacob did have an extremely powerful desire to be with her that he couldn't make sense of "I did but I thought it was my imagination," he replied, also noting how his mind couldn't control his actions. "I think I might have known subconsciously though."_

_He knew now that it was the wolf inside of him that was interfering._

_"Now, had the Cullens stayed or you had gone with them, you would have remained bound to Nessie. At least until she was old enough to choose whether or not she would accept you as a partner. As for Raven, I suspect she would still have made a strong partner for one of the other wolves. Events just unfolded the way that they did, and you happened to find her."_

Upon hearing those words, Jacob remembered picturing Embry — wide-eyed, with his hand on his heart, the day he first introduced him to her.

"What's wrong?" Raven mouthed at Jacob from across the aisle, yanking him out of his daze.

He shook his head back in forth. "Nothing. I love you," he mouthed back.

As much he enjoyed a good wedding, these things always took too damn long. He was ready to get out of his suit in a hurry. It was just way too much clothing for him.

He glanced over at Rachel. She didn't look right, exhaustion maybe. She'd been preoccupied and she looked as if she was hiding something. In fact, she hadn't been the same since they rescued her from the vampires, and it had been over a year.

Jacob had overheard Paul talking about her with Jared.

Paul said Rachel was behaving more distant lately, in addition to the constant nightmares she's had since then. It was hardly visible at first and that if he didn't have the senses that he has, he probably wouldn't even have noticed it. When something affected her though, no matter how small it might be, it affected him too.

Now it had gotten to the point where they could all see that something was up.

Jared wasn't having the same problem with Kim. She was behaving just as she always had, except for an occasional nightmare or two and being terrified to be alone, which, was a normal reaction. Especially, since they never found the vampire that wanted to change one of them.

Rachel, on the other hand, she didn't like them always following her around. She wanted to be left alone. Considering everything she went through, Jacob felt that that was weird. He tried to talk to her about it but she refused to tell him anything that went on in that building. Hell, he wasn't the enemy.

He even asked Kim what she knew about Rachel's ordeal. Kim was no help. She said that she blanked it all out and didn't want to remember anything, ever.

Still, Jacob was going to find out what was going on with Rachel. He was also going to find the missing bloodsucker and put an end to his existence because of what he was planning to do to one of the girls. Jacob didn't know what they would have done if he had bitten one of the girls before they'd arrived. Topping it all off, the coward just ran away.

He'd be back though, take it from him. A vampire with a fixation wouldn't give up easily. It didn't matter that it had been a while since the incident. Jacob and the pack knew that time meant nothing to a vampire.

* * *

Rachel felt the uncomfortable prod of Jacob's suspicious gaze, but refused to glance his way. She snuggled closer to Paul. She would have been able to enjoy the ceremony much more if Jacob hadn't been staring at her through most of it.

What was his problem?

He just couldn't seem to leave her alone about the time Kim and her were taken. He thought she was in some kind of danger. They all did, but she knew for a fact that she wasn't.

She didn't care what Brady thought he heard. She was certain he'd misunderstood whatever had been said.

She glanced up at Paul and their eyes met. He had the most intense deep brown eyes she'd ever seen. The corners of his lips curled into a half smile, revealing the tiny dimple that he had just above the right side of his mouth. She squeezed his hand. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. She leaned her head on his broad shoulder, and rested against his strong body, softly sighing. She loved him deeply. He put his head against hers. She felt so connected to him— just like always, from that very first moment they'd bumped into each other on the beach. He traced her palm with his fingertips, sending a shiver down her spine.

He's been worried about her a lot these days. She feels bad about that, but some things, she just can't tell him.

He knows she doesn't want to talk about it, so he never asks. How can she tell him that the vampire they are all searching for was kind and caring? How can she tell him that his worst enemy was her friend? He was her protector. He was her hope. She spent three days and nights with him, and they talked a lot. If he had wanted to change her, he would have. He'd had more than enough opportunity.

Kim should have been grateful too. Though Rachel understood that Kim had been so frightened and completely out of it the whole time they were up there that she really wasn't aware of what had been going on. Nonetheless, Kim owed him her gratitude.

Rachel flashed back.

_She had been sitting in the back of the van early that morning with a piece of duct tape over her mouth, and her hands and feet were bound. Beads of sweat trickled down her back. She was terrified and her knees were knocking together unfailingly._

_She had no idea what was happening, however, she was trying to remain calm and keep her sanity. That seemed like the most beneficial thing to do._

_Two men were sitting in front of the van hardly speaking to one another, and when they did, she could hear their uneasiness reflected in their voices._

_"He said he would find us. I don't how he's supposed to do that. Seattle is a big city."_

_"Well, if we could wait anywhere, this place is probably more than adequate. At least it's far enough out of the way nobody will hear any screams."_

_Tears uncontrollably streamed down her face. Her stomach convulsed and she gagged a few times. There was no way she was going to be able to throw up with tape over her mouth. She forced herself to calm down, inhaling and exhaling deeply through her nose as she tried to control her shaking body._

_She heard a crunching, snapping sound growing louder as it neared the van and realized another car was approaching them on the gravel road._

_Three doors slammed shut._

_Boom, Boom, Boom…someone pounded on the side of the van. Her heart jumped out of her chest, and she automatically slid to the van's center. The two men in the front jumped out of their seats as well, appearing just as frightened as she was._

_"Wait here!" A man with an accent instructed the men in the front seats._

_She heard three voices talking about a takeover of some kind._

_"I know you've been around long enough to know the crimes Marcus and his brothers have committed against our kind. Trust me. Things will be a lot better when they no longer exist."_

_"And your people can do that, huh?"_

_"Yes they can. The plan is coming along fine. Nevertheless, we could always use more help. So what do you say?"_

_"Come on, Nekoy. It sounds like this thing is going to get done with or without us. We might as well get in good with the new power while we have the chance. It'll add some excitement to a boring, monotonous existence."_

_"You should listen to him, Nekoy. He's got the right idea."_

_"My answer is no. Tony, you can help them if you want to, but I'm out of here. I intended to pass right through this city and my plans haven't changed."_

_"I think…I'll hang around here for a while, Nekoy."_

_"I guess I'll see you around then," Nekoy answered indifferently, "Oh, and if your coven asks, I'm not your sitter. Remember that!"_

_"At least sniffing you two out wasn't a total waste of my time," The thick accented voice, gloated._

_The van door ripped open and one of the men yanked Rachel out effortlessly and dropped her onto the ground. She fell to her back, squashing her arms. The rocks pinched her skin, denting the palms of her hands as she rolled to her side, scraping her face on the gravel._

_The man pulled a wad of money out of his coat pocket and threw it onto the front seats._

_The van spun out with the back doors swinging wide open, kicking dirt and dust all over her._

_As soon as she saw them clearly, she knew what they were. Pale, ivory white skin, lips wine red, and their under shadowed eyes were dismal and oddly colored. One looked like a teenager. The other looked like a man in his mid thirties._

_"Get her up, Tony."_

_That was when she saw him. He was already walking away when Tony picked her up from the ground, busting the ropes from her ankles and standing her upright._

_"I know you know better than to try and run." Tony the teenager examined her smugly before snapping the bands from her wrists._

_She stood frozen with fear, blinking back her tears and trying not to breathe too loudly._

_Tony turned toward the vampire walking away. "Hold on, Nekoy. We'll take you back to your truck."_

_"Nah. I know the way," Nekoy replied dully not looking back._

_She took a good look at the one called Nekoy as he walked away._

_He was a Native American. He had faded, bronze skin covering his athletically built arms, and dark, just below the ear length hair, sort of retro style. A very broad physique and he moved, swaggering with conviction. He was dressed fairly modern, with a light colored t-shirt and dark blue denim jeans. A medium sized back pack was slung over his shoulder, resembling any random college guy…or Calvin Klein model._

_As if her eyes were burning a hole through the back of his head, he whisked around swiftly, staring directly at her._

_Shuddering, she closed her eyes tightly, and dropped her head._

_Instantly, he was standing right beside her. She was shaking so bad, she wrapped her arms around herself and tried to hold herself still. Panting heavily, she tried to catch her breath, praying that when she opened her eyes he wouldn't be there._

_Very slowly, she lifted her head and inched her eyes open, peering out through her hair._

_His eyes were fixed directly on her face, and he bore them right into hers, soothing her somehow. They were a strange warm golden amber color, not the same as the ring leader's eyes, which were crimson red, or Tony's, which were a fiery shade of amber._

_"I thought you didn't want to be part of this?" the older vampire curiously asked._

_"Changed my mind," Nekoy replied. "Could be interesting."_

_"Well take the girl. Be careful not to injure her. She's part of the plan. We've got a couple more men to meet up with and then we'll get to where we're going."_

_Nekoy lightly took hold of her arm, leading her away. To her surprise, he pressed his lips against her ear, causing her to flinch from fear and shiver automatically from the shock of his touch. His hand was ice cold and so was his mouth. "Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you," he breathed nearly silent._

_She couldn't bring herself to look away. Deep down inside of her, she knew that he was telling the truth._

Now, Jacob, Paul, and all the rest of them are searching for him every day, to destroy him.

Everyone missed Embry, and so did she, but that wasn't Nekoy's fault.

If they only knew the truth, he kept them safe by guarding and defending them. Nekoy was the real reason she and Kim were still alive. He even saved her from her nightmares… eventually.

She hoped he went somewhere so far away that Jacob and Paul would never find him.

_When Seth showed up, she knew it was just a matter time before the rest of the pack found them._

_"I'll only stay long enough to see that you'll be taken care of," Nekoy promised. "I need to be sure you're safe, so I'll watch from the trees until they get you completely out of here."_

_As soon as her dark-silver wolf crashed through the window, crouching protectively in front of her, Nekoy left the building. She was relieved because she didn't want him to get hurt._

How does she tell her Perfect Paul that the vampire who should be part of her worst nightmares now haunts her most vivid dreams? And, _not_ in the way anyone would ever expect.

* * *

**A/N** _Ah, the end. Well, what did you think? Did you love it? Did you hate it? Did it not make a bit of sense? Either way, it would be wonderful to know._

_This chapter was originally 1st person from Jacob and Rachel's povs due to the 1st person written sequel, which is called Sickly Sweet Dreams, but I was advised to rewrite it in 3rd person just to be consistant. However, the sequel will remain 1st person in Rachel's Pov._

_P.S. Sickly Sweet Dreams is now posted. _


End file.
